RED ROUTE INSPECTION TURNS INTO FARCE

06-03-2008

An inspection of Birmingham’s controversial Red Route in Sparkbrook descended into farce yesterday afternoon as councillors tried to shake off members of the Stratford Road Business Association who they claimed were stalking them.

Members of the city’s Transportation Scrutiny Committee, led by their Chair Martin Mullaney, arrived in the area just after lunchtime and were greeted by the three main movers of SRBA – Noor Hussian, Abdul Vanat and Hitesh Gohil.

When they moved to their second location, the same trio of business leaders were there again, and there was a bust-up as Vanat, secretary of the traders organisation, suggested to Lib Dem councillor Gwyn Neilly that his views weren’t be taken into account because of his skin colour.

Neilly responded robustly, setting the tone for the game of cat and mouse which followed.

As they headed to their third location further up Stratford Road, councillors and officers tried to give traders the slip - and eventually shrugged them off.

Vanat defended how he and his colleagues had behaved, saying, “Not everyone could afford to shut up shop for the day, so we had made sure they were organised and ready for the visit, and we were just trying to be helpful.

“We had got traders to get their books ready for inspection, but this was not a fair an independent adjudication. I’m very, very disappointed. It seems as though Martin Mullaney has already made his mind up. He’s another Len Gregory.

“The whole thing was a farce.”

Mullaney rejected the claim that he had a closed mind on the issue, but said that Hitesh Gohil, one of the three members of the SRBA was “such an in your face character”, it was difficult for councillors to speak to other shop owners.

“We said we were going back to our coach, but he started ranting and accusing us of being racists.

“They said that they had got traders who wanted to show us their books, but I’m not an accountant. It wouldn’t mean anything to me.”

For all the difficulties, Mullany said that once they’d shrugged off the SRBA and spoken to other traders further up the Stratford Road in Springfield, “it was a really good. I’m glad I did it.”

Yesterday's visit will be followed by a Westminster-style Select Committee hearing at the Council House next Tuesday.