Row over Friend's Institute car park cash
COUNCILLORS who refused to find the money to replace an ancient central heating system at a Birmingham community centre were today under pressure to explain why they spent £8,000 on resurfacing the building’s car park.
The Friends’ Institute in Balsall Heath was on the brink of going to the wall when a city council engineer decided there was no cash for a broken 50-year-old boiler to be repaired.
Liberal Democrats on the Hall Green Constituency Committee said there was no money for a replacement, costing £25,000, and warned the Institute would have to shut in winter – forcing 44 arts and community groups to find alternative premises.
But the council approved a request by the Institute’s manager to resurface the car park and the work has been carried out.
The decision has been slammed by Sparkbrook councillor Salma Yaqoob, who today called on the council to justify the decision.
Coun Yaqoob (Resp) said: “Considering the claim of perilous finances, the council needs to justify its decision to resurface the car park at a cost of £8,000 whilst not being prepared to replace the boiler at a cost of £25,000.”
Her criticism is the latest instalment in an increasingly bitter political battle between Liberal Democrat and Respect councillors about the future of the Friends’ Institute and the 100-year-old building in Moseley Road.
The Hall Green Constituency Committee, which has a Liberal Democrat majority, has accepted the result of a second inspection, which concluded the boiler could be repaired for £3,000. The work is likely to be carried out this week.
Members insist the long term future of the Institute, which loses £40,000 a year, is in doubt.
They want to off-load responsibility to a Community Development Trust as part of plans to claw back a £250,000 overspend by the committee.
Martin Mullaney, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Moseley & Kings Heath, accused Coun Yaqoob of attempting to make political capital out of the difficult choices facing the constituency committee.
He said: “The Friends’ Institute has been losing money hand over fist for years and no one has ever got to grips with what is going on there. It is home to over 40 organisations yet only takes £40,000 a year in rent, while making annual losses of £40,000. This cannot go on.”
He said improvement work to the car park was planned before repair issues with the boiler were discovered.
Coun Mullaney said the committee could not attach a high priority to bailing out the Institute, adding: “We have to get Sparkhill Baths up and running again and have serious structural problems with Balsall Heath Library.
“When it comes to the Friends’ Institute our priority is to keep the groups running and if that can be done through alternative accommodation then so be it.”
Coun Yaqoob claims she and two other Respect councillors have been kept in the dark about the possible closure of the Institute and officials have refused to provide a breakdown of accounts.
