Shops victory by Mail!

Mar 21 2007 By Emma Cullwick

GRIM, run-down shops should be radically transformed over the next six months - thanks to the Birmingham Mail.

Traders in The Heathway, Shard End, were outraged when the city council pulled the plug on £350,000 which it had pledged to transform the crime-riddled area.

Shop owners launched a petition, backed by the Mail, demanding that the cash be restored for the huge make-over project.

All traders have now received letters informing them of the U-turn.

Coun Ian Ward (Lab, Shard End), said: "This is a tremendous victory for the people of Shard End. It underlines how people power can win.

"There's no doubt that without the petition and the support of the Mail we would not have achieved this."

The scheme will boost disa-bled access to shops, create a bigger car park and remove phone boxes used for drug dealing.

Shard End sub-postmaster Tahir Aurangzeb said: "Most of my customers are elderly and they are frightened to death coming in and getting their pension in case it's stolen by thugs and drug dealers.

"Every night, groups of up to 20 youngsters come here and use the shop shutters as goal-posts when they play football.

"I just feel relieved that finally something will be done."

Coun John Lines, cabinet housing chief, said the cash was pulled after it took developers too long to design the improvement scheme.

A council spokeswoman said: "The housing department has made financial provision within 2007/08 to undertake a package of environmental improvements totalling £350,000 to The Heathway shops."