Community Progress Report and Accountability Update: Pype Hayes and Erdington

What this update is about

It has been a busy few months behind the scenes, and I want to give you a straight-talking account of what has been built, what it does for you, and how you can hold me and my office to account if we fall short.

Since launching the Civic Hub at dannycarter.org.uk, the aim has always been the same: make it as easy as possible for people in Pype Hayes and Erdington to report problems, get help, have their say, and see exactly what their councillor is doing about it. No closed doors, no jargon, no waiting weeks for a reply.

Here is where things stand.

The numbers so far

These are the live figures from the platform as of October 2026:

• 298 enquiries handled by my office since launch
• 275 residents served through individual casework
• 101 matters reported directly to Birmingham City Council on behalf of residents
• 23 ward issues logged on the public tracker (potholes, antisocial behaviour, street cleansing, housing, fly-tipping and more)
• 14 community events listed and held
• 3 advice surgeries booked and completed
• 88 residents and business owners registered on the platform
• Average time to resolve a ward issue: 15.1 days

Every one of those numbers represents a real person with a real problem that someone picked up and ran with. That is what the site is for.

What has been built and upgraded

Reporting problems on your street

The issue reporting system has been streamlined so you can log a concern about potholes, fly-tipping, bins, street lighting, antisocial behaviour, housing, planning or anything else on your street in a few minutes. You can upload photos and video as evidence, flag it as urgent, and then track it live from your dashboard until it is resolved. No more phoning a call centre and hearing nothing back.

Every report goes onto the public ward tracker, so neighbours can see what has already been flagged on their street, add their voice with a "this affects me too" button, and watch it move from reported to investigated to resolved.

AI Caseworker

There is now a 24/7 AI assistant on the site that can help you navigate council services, log an issue, or point you in the right direction at any time of day or night. You can type or speak to it, attach photos, and it will draft the report for you to approve before anything is filed. It is not a replacement for my office; it is a first port of call that never sleeps, so nobody is stuck at 11pm with no idea where to turn.

Ward Action Taken dashboard

Every action my office takes on a ward issue is now logged on a public timeline. You can see what has been done, when, who it was raised with, and what the next step is. If a pothole report has been sent to the council Highways team, you will see it. If a fly-tipping case has been resolved, you will see that too.

Surgery booking

You can book a one-to-one advice surgery with me directly through the site. Choose a video call or face-to-face, pick an open slot, and the system handles the calendar invite and reminders automatically. No phone tag, no waiting for office hours to ring.

Ward Forums and Surveys

The ward forum lets residents share opinions on local issues, with live polls so you can see where the community stands. Recent polls have covered planning applications, council spending, and community safety. Every poll result is published with what happened next, so you can see whether your voice made a difference.

Events and local business integration

Local business owners can now list events on the site, access a dedicated business dashboard, and connect with the community. Every event listing goes through a quick office review before going live, to keep things relevant and safe. If you run a shop, pub, takeaway, salon, garage or community group in Pype Hayes or Erdington, there is a space for you on the platform.

Supporting local businesses

The local economy matters. Small businesses are the backbone of Pype Hayes and Erdington, and if yours has been affected by council decisions, roadworks, antisocial behaviour, or anything else, my office wants to hear from you.

You can raise a business concern directly through the platform, and we will take it up with the relevant council department. Business owners can also submit events, access business-specific resources, and get a direct line to representation when commercial disruption hits.

How to hold me to account

Public service means being answerable. If you think I or my office have not delivered, or if you want to raise a formal complaint about casework handling, council service delays, or anything else, here is how:

1. Contact the office directly. Email danny.carter@birmingham.gov.uk or call 07484 096926.
2. Book a surgery. Schedule a face-to-face or video conversation at dannycarter.org.uk/surgery and raise it with me personally.
3. Log a formal issue. Sign in at danny.carter.org.uk/help, submit a formal inquiry with documentation, and track your case reference number through to resolution.
4. Check the public tracker. Every ward issue and every office action is visible on the public accountability page at danny.carter.org.uk. If I have not done something, you will be able to see that too.

Data protection

The platform is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office under registration number ZC211392 under the Data Protection Act 2018. Your data privacy rights, export requests, and account deletion protocols are strictly maintained. Your postcode is never shown publicly. Your personal details are never shared without your consent.

What happens next

The site is still growing. More features are in the pipeline, including expanded planning watch coverage, a community champions referral programme, and a podcast where residents and local business owners can come on air and talk about the issues that matter to them.

But the core mission has not changed: if something is wrong on your street, in your home, or with a council service, report it and we will chase it. If you want to have your say on what matters most in the ward, vote in the forum, back a ward priority, or start a petition. And if you think I am not doing enough, tell me directly. That is how this is supposed to work.

Have your say

• Report a problem: dannycarter.org.uk/report
• Book a surgery: dannycarter.org.uk/surgery
• Vote in the ward forum: dannycarter.org.uk/ward-forum
• Back a ward priority: dannycarter.org.uk/ward-priorities
• Start or sign a petition: dannycarter.org.uk/petitions
• Register for free: dannycarter.org.uk/register

Stay involved, keep asking questions, and let us keep building a stronger community together.

Cllr Danny Carter, Reform UK, Pype Hayes and Erdington Ward, Birmingham City Council