Birmingham's breaking point: Locals prioritise what needs fixing first in city under pressure

Birmingham is stuck in crisis mode. The city council, under a Section 114 notice, has effectively frozen all spending unless it's legally mandated. That means no new projects, no community initiatives - just essential services on life support.

Watch the video: Richard Gullick report

Missed bin collections, shuttered libraries, and decaying public spaces are now the new normal. Meanwhile, council tax is climbing, thousands of council jobs are at risk, and the impact is falling hardest on the communities least able to absorb it.

In a city this stretched, where everything can't be fixed at once, what should come first?

We took to the streets of Birmingham to hear what locals think should be the top priority.

"Libraries are more than just books"

One resident pointed to the closures of local libraries as a deep blow to the community.

"I think the library closures are going to have a massive impact on a lot of the community in Birmingham. My father used the library often - to read, to collect books. It’s a good place for people to work. Shutting them down affects people, possibly even mentally."

Libraries, long seen as safe and inclusive community spaces, are vanishing. For many, that loss feels personal and irreversible.

"Rubbish everywhere"

In student-heavy areas like Selly Oak, sanitation has become a major concern as Birmingham bin strikes rumble on.

"The bins are just lying everywhere." said a local student. "We’re here to study, not live in waste."

Another added, "We clean our homes, but if the council won’t help clean the streets, what can we do as individuals? It’s demoralising."

"Homelessness can’t be ignored"

For others, the city’s growing homelessness crisis is the most urgent problem.

"There’s too many people just out in the streets. We need shelters—safe places where people can go, where they can get food and support."

The call is not just for short-term fixes, but sustainable, compassionate infrastructure that offers dignity and real solutions.

The cost of inequality

Cuts don’t land evenly. Some areas benefit from private investments or community fundraising to cushion the blow. Others are left with overflowing bins, decaying buildings, and closed-down services. The postcode divide is growing, and it’s eroding more than infrastructure - it’s eroding trust.

"That’s not equality, it’s erosion," said one resident. "People are still paying into the system, but what they’re getting back is shrinking. It feels like a breach of trust."

"We're paying, but for what?"

As council tax rises, frustration deepens.

"If bins aren’t being collected, that’s a basic health and safety issue. It’s not good for kids, not good for the elderly. It just makes the city look like a joke."

"My daughter’s had rats where she lives because recycling wasn’t collected. We’re paying for these services, and we’re not getting them."

The sentiment is clear: residents are expected to pay more, but are receiving less and less in return.

Birmingham is at a crossroads. With its hands tied financially and communities fraying, the question isn’t just what can be saved - it’s what must be.

Whether it’s public health, dignity, education, or basic cleanliness, the people of Birmingham are speaking out. And in their voices, one message cuts through: this city deserves better.