On Monday, Birmingham City Council declared a major incident to address the ongoing disruption caused by the bin strikes.

I welcome Local Government Minister Jim McMahon’s support for this declaration, which will give the council extra powers to deal with mess we see across the city. This includes:

• Quickly increase the availability of street cleansing and fly-tip removal with an additional 35 vehicles and crews around the city.

• Work with partners to better manage the risks the city is facing, including health and fire risks. Initially this will be focussed upon support to allow vehicles to safely exit and enter our depots on time.

• Allow the council to explore what further support is available from neighbouring authorities and government to assist us in managing the situation.

This does not end the bin strike, but it should allow the council to enforce their contingency plan to collect everyone’s refuse bin once a week.

I want to see a permanent solution as soon as possible for the thousands of residents affected in Selly Oak. The council has made a fair and reasonable offer to Unite, and I urge them to come back to the table so this can be resolved.