Concerns have been raised that Solihull Council has struggled to “keep on top” of clearing weeds and pruning this year, with claims that many residents had complained of overgrown open spaces. Cllr Cheryl Buxton-Sait (Green, Castle Bromwich) suggested there had been problems keeping areas tidy and had this week asked what would be done to…

Solihull Council’s cabinet, last night (10 October), approved a plan for investment into Shirley town centre to help it meet the challenge of the changing nature of retail. The funds, £50,000 from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) and up to £50,000 from Solihull Council, will support work to develop a new…

“Merciless” criminal gangs which exploit children and vulnerable residents have extended their reach into many parts of Solihull, a meeting has heard. Cllr James Burn, leader of the Green Party group, said he was “incredibly concerned” about the activities of so-called County Lines drug outfits and other organised networks. At this week’s Full Council meeting,…

Children and young people at local schools and colleges are set to benefit from swifter and improved access to mental health support following NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) successful bid to secure funding to establish Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) within or near to schools and colleges. The MHSTs will become part…

Solihull Council has set a target of becoming carbon-neutral within 11 years, as part of efforts to tackle climate change. Councillors this week gave unanimous backing to a motion which committed the local authority to reducing greenhouse gases and air pollutants and working towards being “net carbon zero” by 2030. Cllr Andy Mackiewicz, the cabinet…

Stricter rules for planning permission introduced in part of a Solihull suburb could be extended to other historic houses nearby. It has been agreed this month that measures to protect the character of St Bernards Road – requiring residents to seek approval for minor changes – would be made permanent. The tighter controls, initially introduced…

A dog walker was hospitalised after an altercation with a man at a Solihull beauty spot. The victim, a man in his 50s, was walking his dog in Elmdon Park on Tuesday evening (8 October) when he was punched in the face by another dog walker. Police say an altercation sparked the violent assault, which…

A Solihull traffic island has been recognised by the UK’s Roundabout Appreciation Society (RAS) – even though it isn’t actually round. The group has picked the eight-sided feature, in Dickens Heath, as among its favourites from around the country. This means that it has bagged one of the select few slots on the pages of…

On Tuesday 8 October, Solihull Council received the keys to a new youth and community facility in Dickens Heath. The impressive construction has been completed by Wernick Buildings and their Contracts Manager, Charlie Miles, showed Councillor Ken Hawkins, Cabinet Member for Environment & Highways, around the new building before handing the keys over. Councillor Hawkins…

Solihull could miss out on money to fund a range of community projects if local groups fail to stake a claim to HS2 grants. The rail project has put aside tens of millions of pounds, with those living along the route able to bid for a share of the cash. However, there are concerns about…