Solihull schoolteacher given life ban after punching students and pulling their hair

A Solihull schoolteacher has been banned from the classroom for life after punching, jabbing and pulling the hair of students. Jason McDermott, 45, was found guilty of misconduct after a disciplinary panel heard he had a history of “recurring violence against pupils” at CTC Kingshurst Academy in Solihull. The former soldier was said to have…

Continue reading »

MP calls for end to Birmingham Airport flight path trials

Conservative MP Caroline Spelman has called for the transport secretary to stop flight path trials being carried out from Birmingham Airport. The airport began a six-month trial for two potential new flight paths in May, as part of a runway extension. But some residents claim noise levels have increased and have organised a petition calling…

Continue reading »

Shirley partners sign ‘PowerGen’ agreement to develop masterplan

Solihull Council, Shirley Advance and ASDA have signed an initial undertaking to work together to bring forward a masterplan for the redevelopment of the former ‘PowerGen’ site at the junction of Stratford Road and Haslucks Green Road in Shirley. Having now successfully delivered the £85m Parkgate development in Shirley Town Centre, Shirley Advance will take…

Continue reading »

Death of SAS hopeful was ‘avoidable’ says coroner

A royal Marine’s death was “clearly avoidable” after he fell 100 feet into a gorge while taking part in an SAS selection exercise in Snowdonia, a coroner said. Ashley Hicks, from Solihull, slipped into a gorge as he and five other soldiers were heading towards a rendezvous point near Trawsfynydd pursued by other soldiers in…

Continue reading »

Double-crewed ambulances are back

West Midlands Ambulance Service and Heart of England Foundation Trust have agreed costs to base Double-Crewed Ambulances in Solihull Hospital. After several months of negotiations the Chief Executive of West Midlands Ambulance Service wrote to local MP Lorely Burt to confirm that a financial agreement had been reached at a ‘revised cost’. Bosses expect work…

Continue reading »

Council to look again at Gateway Project

Controversial plans to axe the pedestrian crossing at the end of Solihull High Street as part of the Council’s proposed Gateway Project have been put on hold while the scheme is given greater consideration. Charities for the visually impaired, along with local Guide Dog users, had been outraged by the proposal which would have seen…

Continue reading »

Cemetery plans have been re-submitted

Plans for a 4,000-plot Muslim cemetery in Catherine-de-Barnes have been re-submitted to Solihull Council. The plans are identical to those previously withdrawn in March – but with more information provided in an attempt to justify the plans. The previously withdrawn application came under fire for its impact on the Green Belt and the fact adequate…

Continue reading »

Solihull double murder suspect sectioned

A man arrested on suspicion of the double murder of a Solihull couple has today (23rd July) been sectioned under the Mental Health Act. The 23-year-old was arrested on 7th July after emergency se…rvices were called to the family’s home, on Hermitage Road, where the bodies of a couple, in their 50s, were discovered. The…

Continue reading »

Pomeroy Way named after late local GP

A new road in Chelmund’s Cross Village Centre has been named after the area’s long serving GP, Richard Pomeroy MBE, who sadly passed away last year. Richard or ‘Dick’, Pomeroy moved into Chelmsley Wood in the late sixties and set up his practice as the area was being built. His practice in Chelmund’s Cross (formerly…

Continue reading »

Solihull in top 5 destinations for shopping in UK

Less than a year after being voted the UK’s best place to live, Solihull has been identified as one of the country’s top shopping locations. According to property agent DTZ, the upmarket town will be one of the five healthiest retail destinations in five years’ time alongside the West End of London, Surrey, west and…

Continue reading »