Council leaders have criticised a housing association's approach in a dispute with a local co-operative

On 5th August, the Leader of Birmingham City Council and four of his colleagues wrote an open letter to GreenSquareAccord (GSA), criticising the housing association's refusal to sell the Stirchley Co-operative Development to the co-operative for the previously agreed price.  The letter alleged that GSA had moved away from the original intentions of the scheme, despite the unpaid involvement of businesses and prospective tenants in the design of the scheme.  It also stated that the co-operative had increased their offer multiple times but all of these offers had been rejected.  The councillors urged GSA to "re-engage in productive negotiations to sell the development to Stirchley Co-Operative Development at a price they can afford".