Back to normal after tornado 'with no need for aid'

Birmingham is back to normal following a tornado which devastated parts of the city a year ago, Ministers claimed yesterday.

But Conservatives accused the Government of leaving Birmingham to repair the damage alone, in the run-up to the anniversary of the twister which wrecked hundreds of homes last year.

The tornado struck the south of the city on July 27, leaving 20 people injured and hundreds of homes wrecked.

The most serious damage was in Sparkbrook and Moseley.

So far the Government has provided no financial support, and negotiations with the city council are still going on. But Angela Smith, the Local Government Minister, said homes and parks had been repaired without the need for aid from Whitehall.

She issued a Commons answer in response to questioning by Caroline Spelman (Con Meriden), the Tory Local Government Secretary.

Ms Smith said: "The city council owned a handful of homes in the tornado affected area. Any that were damaged have had repairs completed and the tenants are back in their homes."

About 900 homes owned by registered social landlords such as housing associations suffered damage, she said.

"A number of residents had to be temporarily re-housed while repairs works were carried out, but the vast majority are now back in their homes.

"The four largest registered social landlords in the area report that all repairs have been completed and all their tenants have returned home."

Private homeowners had been offered loans by the city council to pay for repairs, she said.

She added: "The majority of tenants were able to access either insurance payments or make separate funding arrangements."

More than 500 trees were destroyed, and some replacements had been planted, she said.

Damage which caused parks to be closed, such as ruined footpaths or railings, had been repaired, she said.

A redevelopment plan for the worst affected site, Balsall Heath Park, was being developed with local residents, she added.

The majority of the 114 businesses physically affected by the tornado were now back in business, she added.

Mrs Spelman said: "It is all very well for the Government to say everything is back to normal, but it isn't. People's lives and livelihoods were destroyed.

"What I'm angry about is that the opportunity to regenerate this deprived area has been missed.

"This Government has snubbed Birmingham again. The council submitted a bid for financial aid in November last year and still hasn't had a proper reply."