The British Parking Awards have recognised Sandwell Council and APCOA for cracking down on Blue Badge misuse and fraud to help protect spaces for people who are disabled or have mobility issues. Since April 2023, Sandwell Council has brought 30 successful prosecutions for Blue Badge fraud. The authority has also issued a further 31 warning letters and cancelled one Blue Badge. The figures include 25 prosecutions and 18 warning letters since April 2024, showing how the crackdown has stepped up over the past year. The council and APCOA were shortlisted in a new ‘breakout award’ category that recognises frontline teams…

Image depicts Anne Brunozzi and Councillor Flint holding a box of naloxone. Over 100 professionals and community members attended a half-day event this September to share ideas on tackling the growing risk of drug-related . Anne Brunozzi, Service Manager at The Beacon and Councillor Gary Flint with a box of naloxone. Preventing Drug-Related Deaths in Walsall, held on Tuesday 16 September at Manor Farm Community Association, brought together local statutory, voluntary, and community organisations to explore practical ways to save lives and prepare for the potential arrival of highly potent drugs in the area. It was organised in partnership with…

Plans to regenerate one of the largest brownfield sites in the West Midlands and build a new, 600 home community have reached a key milestone. Sandwell Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) have appointed top 10 housebuilder Keepmoat as their preferred developer to construct the Friar Park Urban Village scheme in Wednesbury. The appointment follows a selection process which has been progressed since January 2024 and ending with Sandwell Council Cabinet approval at the end of July. The scheme, a joint project between the council and WMCA, will see around 600 homes built on the huge site, approximately…

A new pathway, additional seating and revamped community noticeboards are currently being installed at a Wednesfield park to offer improvements for local residents. New exercise markers are also being put in place for walkers and runners at Ashmore Park in Griffiths Drive, following a consultation with local people. City of Wolverhampton Council and developers Haystoun Construction Limited have started the works this week. Improvements include the installation of a new hard surface path around the park’s lower football field. This will make it easier to walk around the whole of the site, particularly when the ground conditions are wet or…

To support residents on their journey to quit smoking, Be Well Walsall, the wellbeing service commissioned by Walsall Council’s Public Health team is now offering access to Varenicline, a prescription-only medication that helps reduce cravings and eases withdrawal symptoms. Available through Be Well Walsall for eligible residents, Varenicline offers a new route to quitting. Combined with one-to-one support and tailored advice, this option strengthens Walsall’s commitment to helping more people quit for good. Regulated vapes were also introduced by the service in March as an additional aid to quit, alongside other nicotine products such as patches and gum (also known…

Launched for the first time this year, the Summer Adventure Passport was created to support early childhood development and provide free, fun and engaging challenges during the summer holidays. The passport included a 6-week timetable of activity all of which were designed promote learning, exploration and enable families to spend quality time together. “ Our Summer Adventure Passport has done exactly what we wanted it to do, provided families with six-week of fun and learning, with activities on offer in and around our local communities. It’s been a resounding success in terms of the numbers of families who have gotten…

The City of Wolverhampton Council’s Customer Services team will be holding a series of digital support sessions to help parents and guardians complete their online applications for secondary school places. The application window for pupils who are due to start their secondary education in September 2025 is now open and parents and guardians have until Friday 31 October to complete theirs. Parents and guardians should log on to School admissions to complete the short application process. Anyone who needs help with their online application is invited to attend one of the School Application Surgeries being held at the Civic Centre,…

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Transport, inside the Urban Traffic Control centre at the Civic Centre Wolverhampton Council is doubling down on its efforts to ensure roadworks carried out by utility companies on city roads are completed quickly and correctly. Utilities companies like water, gas and electricity are responsible for more than 2 thirds of roadworks in Wolverhampton. The council closely monitors them and when they fail to comply with strict rules around roadworks fines are issued, with the money reinvested into fixing roads, tackling potholes and more. To help coordinate all work on…

A new framework has been launched which will bring a unified, robust approach to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) in Wolverhampton. The SEND and Inclusion Quality Assurance Framework has been approved by the city’s SEND and Inclusion Partnership Board and is now being implemented across all partner services. Spanning education, health, and social care, the framework will ensure services are safe, inclusive and high quality, and meet both national and local standards. It has been built on collaboration, shaped by feedback from families, Special Educational Needs Coordinators, school leaders, health teams,…

The City of Wolverhampton Council’s Public Health team has unveiled a new Sexual and Reproductive Health toolkit to give professionals the knowledge and resources they need to support residents’ wellbeing. Launched to mark Sexual Health Week 2025, which is now underway, it has been developed in response to feedback from local health, social care and community workers, and aims to make conversations about sexual health easier, more accurate and culturally sensitive. It includes practical advice including real life insight covering everything from choosing the right contraception to building healthy relationships. It also shines a light on the sexual health of…