Part of Birmingham

Those of us who come from Coventry, live in Coventry, and call ourselves Coventrians have no wish to be part of greater Birmingham. This is a done deal by Councillor Lucas and her Labour buddies in Birmingham to ensure they keep control for ever. It is not about competing with the NorthWest it is about cronyism and control. As ever we don't get a vote on a critical issue for the city.

And when the walls went up, Coventrians didn't want to be a part of Warwickshire either. Life can be tough.

Yes life can be tough. People in Coventry did not want to be administered from Warwickshire because quite correctly they feared that Warwickshire people would be running things and that Warwickshire would dominate. In the same way people in Coventry did not want their police, fire, and ambulance services to be run by the West Midlands Council because again correctly they feared that Birmingham would dominate. Now the same situation arises again with the proposals for a Greater Birmingham which will see Birmingham City Council dominate.

I think this thread begs several questions. How small should administration areas be? What size has sufficient economic clout to get things done? Should there be separate administrators for Canley and Cheylesmore? How much are local councillors interested in the views of the current population? Would that be enhanced in a larger administration area? Would a Greater Birmingham administration know the difference between Pinley and Binley? Councillors could complain, correctly, that too few people take an interest in the government of the city. From the electorate there is the complaint that their voice is not heard. How many in this forum who live locally have been in the public gallery at council meetings in the past 5 years? Who has a viable explanation for the strategy of the proposed Bishopgate and Friargate developments?

Pixrobin, never have I attended a meeting at the council as it's a waste of time, if you speak out you would be dragged out and arrested, like recently at a political conference and deemed needing the nut and bolt man or being a terrorist as they have bought laws in to stop us. We have no say in this country and never have had, it's just changed to make us criminals with new laws, if we did speak out.

Coventry was granted 'County Corporate' status because it helped out the king, and was also the largest town in Warwickshire. At the moment Coventry forms a distinct economic sub region from Birmingham, and has different needs for transport. So much so that when the 'West Midlands' creates a transport strategy it leaves Coventry out and puts it in a separate document. Meanwhile, the area to which Coventry has economic links isn't included.

I believe that it is easier to get an overview by being on the outside looking in than it is from the inside looking out. When looking out, though you can get better view of what's in front, you never see what is going on behind.

The logical extension of the proposed `merger` of Birmingham and Coventry is a wide M6 corridor from Coventry to Manchester (including Accrington ). We could then all pull together and outdo London. Meanwhile I am posting my previous EU map link to see if it works. http://www.eutruth.org.uk/regionmap.pdf

Accrington (in the borough of Hyndburn - and not part of Manchester but a borough within Lancashire) is 20-odd miles north of Manchester and gets more rain

I find this a horrible thread to contribute to, because I too am now on the outside, visiting occasionally and now not too far distant since the A46 has been turned into such a doddle. Some of you will have read my recent comments on a tour around Coventry and I guess I was looking for nostalgia - perhaps you might call it the beating heart - I don`t think I found it, in fact perhaps it felt like we are back to May 1945 - a bit of a wilderness without the bombing and the rose bay willow herb. They have got rid of the tastefully liveried corporation buses advertising Ronald A Fearnley as City Engineer. But perhaps Coventry has always been evolutionary and it needs a new departure But it isn`t amalgamation with Brum A little story:- Some years ago I exhibited at the Feb Gift show in Birmingham We came down from our workshop in Scotland. Before offloading your exhibits into hall 5, you have to wait your turn in a holding area, eventually the line of vehicles get to a kiosk where you pay the lady a returnable deposit. An opportunity to chat with the natives - so one of the subjects we discussed was that I came from Coventry before Scotland. "Oh" she said, "You haven`t lost your cheek" Coventry and Birmingham, for the benefit of both, MUST NEVER be one. (Particularly to eventually become a district of a federal EU)

Maybe Coventry should go for independence, become the Republic of Coventry being as it doesn't like to be part of anything at all. Make the city an island and the rest of the country will cast it adrift is what would happen and do you think anybody outside of the city would care?

So far, the only plan to come out of discussions here is to force out of towners with money to buy an apartment above a second rate Chinese restaurant. Nice. And y'all wonder why nobody wants to come to Coventry?

The real problem is the feeling of helplessness - "they are doing it at you" - to be concise, officialdom ignoring long held local views, customs and loyalties. Some change is necessary, some baffling and some just plain stupid and even some malicious or for grandiose purposes. Whatever - it behoves officialdom to be careful I too was born in Coventry - Warwickshire. I support Warwickshire cricket team (despite it always having been a league of nations) and the same for the rugby lot. But overall Coventry and Birmingham are different, like I have always known "there`s no place like Beddoth" Maybe they will do what they will with administrative needs, but full incorporation and the destruction of the green belt between Allesley and Elmdon is for me a red line to be seriously defended.

Hear hear, Roger!!!

Well said Mr Turner.

I think this just about sums up the feelings of the majority of Coventry and Warwickshire-born forum members - up the Bears!