An outline planning application for a new warehouse on a section of open space off Neachells Lane is set to be considered at Planning Committee next Tuesday (25 March). If approved the details of the plan, such as the design of public footpaths, layout, appearance, landscaping, lighting and noise mitigation measures, will be subject to extensive community engagement by the developer and scrutinised by planners under reserved matters, before any works start on site. The land was formally a coal mine and was later used as a landfill site before becoming a public open space in the 1990s. The indicative…

Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council, volunteers from Veolia and Aldi, and staff from the Council’s Planting Our Future team joined together this week to plant 500 new saplings at Katherine’s Wood in Lavender Hall Park, Balsall Common. The new saplings, which include Field Maple, Red Maple, Alder, River Birch, Downy Birch, Beech, Oak, and Willow, will complement and further enhance the existing two-acre woodland at Katherine’s Wood. In addition to the woodland extension, members of the Berkswell Society have planted a community orchard at the park. The orchard includes apple trees, pear trees and plum trees. Aldi, the…

Celebrating their Ofsted success are Edward the Elder Primary School pupils with Headteacher Bridget Highman and Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education A school which has ‘high ambition for all pupils’ has been judged to be Good by Ofsted. Inspectors visited Edward the Elder Primary School last month and, in their report published this week, found that everyone ‘subscribes to the values of partnership for achievement’. Staff, pupils and parents ‘are right to be proud of their school’, with pupils achieving ‘high standards’ in reading, writing and mathematics. Staff hold ‘consistently high expectations’ for how…

Sniffer dog Griff outside the storage container and one of the bin liners found with tobacco. A huge amount of tobacco, illegal cigarettes, counterfeit duty stamps and counterfeit tobacco labelling with a retail value of approximately £500,000 was seized from a storage facility in Walsall on Friday 7 March as part of a crackdown on the illicit tobacco trade. The seizure was undertaken as part of Operation Shadow, which aims to disrupt the wholesale supply of illicit tobacco as well as retail. Walsall Council Trading Standards in partnership with West Midlands Police and a specialist search dog team, searched one…

Škoda UK has announced the winners of its annual Retailer of the Year Awards 2024, with Vindis Škoda (Bury St Edmunds) crowned best of the best. The Retailer of the Year Awards celebrate retailer excellence across the Škoda network. Specific award categories cover sales, fleet, electric vehicles (EVs), customer experience, Used Sales, Aftersales, and of course the overall Retailer of the Year accolade. Fighting off firm competition from more than 125 Škoda retailers across the UK and noted for a fantastic team culture, Vindis Škoda (Bury St Edmunds), who finished ninth in 2022 and third in 2023, climbed the ranks…

Old Hall School, on Bentley Lane, Walsall, opened its new site, ‘The Nest’ in Darlaston on 25 February 2025. The Nest will provide specialist Early Years and Key Stage 1 provision for over 40 children with severe learning disabilities and complex Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). The council has supported the transformation of a disused nursery into a new, inclusive learning environment. The investment reflects both the council’s and school’s commitment to expand the number of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities places in Walsall. The Nest is home to four purpose-built classrooms, two sensory rooms, a dedicated wellbeing room, outdoor spaces…

England take on Hungary in the opening match Hundreds of fans turned out to celebrate start of the Kabaddi World Cup 2025 in Wolverhampton. WV Active Aldersley staged the opening ceremony and first games of the tournament today (Monday 17 March, 2025). The opening ceremony featured live music by students from Wolverhampton Music Service, local dance acts and a parade of athlete from across the world who are taking part. The host nation England men’s team then got the live action underway with the first group stage game against Hungary. A number of other men’s and women’s games then took…

Thousands of pounds worth of illegal vapes, cigarettes and tobacco have been seized from a shop in Castle Bromwich, in the biggest haul of its kind. Police Officers from the Smith’s Wood and Castle Bromwich neighbourhood team joined up with colleagues from Solihull Trading Standards for a visit to the shop on 7 March. Inside, they found more than 25,000 illegal cigarettes and 1,200 vapes in addition to 80 bags of tobacco, making this the largest seizure of goods ever recovered in the borough. The visit is part of our ongoing work against illegal and counterfeit vapes and tobacco, which…

Held at St Michael and All Angels Church and attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Dr Derrick Anderson CBE and the Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Anthony Harris, the service offered time and space for remembrance, reflection and gratitude. Reverend Alison Morris, Vicar at St Michael’s, led the service which featured readings by Nasar Iqbal (Black Country Innovate) and Pastor Monica Anderson (Walsall Faith Forum), performances from Trudia Ward, Huntley Mitchel and Pelsall Ladies Choir, as well as reflections from several faith and community leaders and representatives, creating an inclusive environment of reflection for all. Dr A Kuravi, Clinical…

An ambitious national plan to reinvent work experience for schoolchildren is to be tested in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). New pilot guarantees 10 days’ worth of modern work experience starting earlier in secondary school and building skills for every child the workplace West Midlands Combined Authority chosen as one of four national pilots The pilot is targeting disadvantaged young people in the region to break down barriers with high-quality provision for all as part of efforts to prevent young people becoming NEET WMCA Careers Hub are working in partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council to identify and…