Leaders of Birmingham City Council have privately signalled their intention to press ahead with controversial plans for a split-site library, effectively sidelining a highly critical scrutiny report.
Senior cabinet members are understood to have ordered work to proceed as quickly as possible on developing the business case for the #147 million scheme - which involves building a lending and reference library at Centenary Square and a family history and archive centre at Millennium Point.
A project manager is to be appointed with a remit to do everything possible to deliver the split-site option for the council.
The move finally puts paid to hopes of resurrecting a #180 million proposal for a Library of Birmingham at Eastside by the acclaimed architect Lord Richard Rogers.
***
Controversial proposals to exhume Shakespeare's body to find out exactly how he died have been rubbished by a Midlands vicar.
Rev Martin Gorick, of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon where the Bard is buried, said US experts hoping to dig up his body, to determine whether he was murdered by his son-in-law, have not approached the church - even though permission is needed from officials to go ahead with the plans.
He said the scientists thought they only needed the permission of Shakespeare's living descendents to carry out the work, but no such family members exist as the family line died out years ago.
***
Tony Blair has been told he is not doing enough to help former Rover workers by a Birmingham MP.
Labour MP Richard Burden, whose Northfield constituency includes Longbridge, issued the blunt warning in the House of Commons.
The Prime Minister pledged to make sure sacked workers received help, but made no specific promises of any extra aid.
More than 3,000 people who either worked for Rover or for the car giant's suppliers had already been found new jobs, he said.
***
Pupils in the West Midlands are being crammed into classes of 45 to ensure teachers are given time out for marking and preparing lessons, a union has warned.
The National Union of Teachers says primary schools are splitting classes up and sharing pupils between two others in a bid to adhere to new laws relieving teachers from teaching duties.
With a typical primary class containing 30 children, it means teachers having to cope with an extra 15 pupils during a session, the union claims.
"I have had three or four instances of this brought to my attention," said Brian Carter, Midland regional secretary of the NUT.
See Thursday's Birmingham Post for more on these stories
