Work has begun on a new retirement village set in countryside at Balsall Common. Exclusively for the 55+ homeowner, Albany Meadows will consist of 39 contemporary homes featuring a mix of two-bedroom bungalows, three-bed houses and two-bed apartments, all with access to landscaped green spaces, car parking and a range of amenities and services. Lifestyle…

Breast Cancer Haven – West Midlands is due to open in October 2017 with progress going well on the Solihull premises in St Bernard’s Road. 12,500 breast cancer patients are currently living within 35 miles of the new centre and with 1 in 8 women facing breast cancer diagnosis in the UK there is overwhelming…

A driver got a surprise when they returned to their car in Solihull this week. Yellow line painters had been out reinforcing new parking restrictions in Poplar Road in Dorridge – a popular parking spot for rail commuters who use the nearby station. But the driver appears not to have spotted any warning signs. This…

An appeal to extend the prison sentence of the disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson has ruled he must serve an additional 5 years on top of his sentence. Paterson was jailed for 15 years in May for carrying out unnecessary breast operations on patients after being found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent…

One of the last surviving Spitfire pilots from the Battle of Britain has sadly died aged 99. Ken Wilkinson was among those famously dubbed “The Few” by Winston Churchill. Mr Wilkinson was a “true gentleman who we shall miss dearly”, the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust (BBMT) said. The chartered surveyor, from Solihull, who once…

Solihull Police are appealing for information after a woman was assaulted in Smith’s Wood Playing Fields yesterday morning (29th July). The victim, aged in her early 20s, was approached by a man as she walked on Buckingham Road at just after midnight. She was then dragged onto the field and assaulted – before the man…

A burglar who targeted high-value cars at homes across the Midlands tried driving a stolen Mini through queuing traffic in a desperate bid to shrug off pursuing police. But Martin Tolan’s botched getaway was foiled as West Midlands Police officers swarmed around the convertible − and he’s now been jailed for almost a decade for…

Following an appeal to find two people who saved Andy Steggles from drowning in Chelmsley Wood 44 years ago (1973), when he was three, both Anne Barley and Peter Owen have been traced. Andy Steggles, now 47 and living in Washington DC, said: “Really appreciate the help and support of everyone who came together to…

Planning permission was granted for a new affordable care home for older people with dementia, on land at Tanworth Lane in Shirley, during a recent Solihull Council Planning Committee meeting. The modern, purpose built home located adjacent to a medical centre will provide affordable beds on a long-term sustainable basis to meet the needs of…

Bus passengers in Solihull can expect cleaner buses and improved facilities if a landmark scheme to improve quality gets the go-ahead. Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), is launching a town centre Advanced Quality Bus Partnership (AQBP) with bus operators. The scheme will manage operation of buses at…