Six years ago, London was on a global stage as it hosted the Olympic Games, with many of the events taking place in East London. For any city, such an event can help drive improvement and regeneration.

Hackney Council has grasped the opportunities of a rapidly growing population and made swift progress following years of failure. It was notable how direct their approach was to tackling the problems of street gangs and some of the large inequalities that still exist in the borough.

I took away a strong sense that their work around crime has been consistent over many years and whilst they face many challenges, they have found a way of working in partnership that appears to be sustained and focused. Schemes of work around stop and search and the matrix system remain controversial, but they are confident that these policies deliver safer streets for the borough’s visitors and residents.

Knife crime is one of the issues which affects citizens, particularly young people, in Birmingham and Hackney, so it was with great interest today that I read about a new pilot scheme, run by charity Redthread, which is working with both local authorities, police and the NHS to support victims of violence.

Hackney’s approach to tackling the inequalities faced by young black men growing up the borough was strikingly clear.  Difficult conversations were had and a clear programme of work set up to address the gaps in economic and social outcomes.  I am keen that we explore the possibility of this kind of targeted work following on from the Community Cohesion Strategy white paper which will be published in the autumn.

We had an opportunity to meet with the elected Mayor Phil Glanville, who talked about recent developments in the borough, as well as the council’s commitment to ensuring it was as good a place to live in as it could be for all its residents.

Like Birmingham, Hackney has also seen rapid growth in the private rented sector which has had a dramatic impact on the area. Hackney has been grappling with how it manages competing demands on housing and how to retain cohesion against a backdrop of rapid development. These are also issues which are likely to become of increasing importance to us in Birmingham.  

Finally, there was an discussion regarding the impact of the cultural Olympiad on the borough during 2012 and how the council made the transition back to ‘business as usual’ afterwards, this was useful for us as we approach the Commonwealth Games. 

Hackney has provided a ‘blueprint’ for boroughs and cities facing similar issues, like Birmingham, that is effective and achievable. 

If you want to have your say on how Birmingham can become a more cohesive and inclusive city, visit: www.birminghambeheard.org.uk or write to me at The Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham B1 1BB by 31 August 2018.

This blog was published on 7 August 2018