Sandwell Council has begun work on a series of 38 new priority road safety projects across the borough as part of its Community Road Safety Concern Programme this year. Six are already completed or nearing completion and more are on the way. Over the past 25 years, Sandwell has halved the number of casualties on its roads, including reducing child casualties by 60 per cent. This significant reduction follows a long-term programme of targeted engineering measures, road safety education, and support for police enforcement action. The council is continuing this work through its Community Road Safety Concern Programme, which focuses…

A number of vehicle safety concerns have been addressed during a targeted enforcement operation by Walsall Council’s Licensing Services. The operation was carried out in Brownhills on Friday 28 March and was delivered in partnership with West Midlands Police, Community Protection Officers and specialist vehicle testers. During the operation, 12 licensed vehicles were stopped and brought in for inspection. Of those, six vehicles were suspended from use due to safety concerns, with three also issued prohibition notices preventing them from being driven until defects are addressed. A number of the issues identified related to tyre safety, including damage, excessive wear…

Sandwell Council’s Cabinet has agreed to invest an extra £1.5million to help maintain roads and footpaths, building on the authority’s top national Green rating for highway maintenance. This boost means the council will invest more than £14million in total over the next year on keeping Sandwell’s roads, footpaths and street lights well maintained. The additional £1.5million – approved by the council’s Cabinet last month – will specifically support maintaining local residential roads as well as footpaths in neighbourhoods and town centre shopping areas. Sandwell has recently celebrated a Green rating under the government’s new national traffic light system for…

A major new initiative aimed at reducing antisocial behaviour and bringing underused green spaces back to life is set to launch across the city next month – with local voluntary and community organisations being encouraged to get involved. The project, led by Wolves Foundation in partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council and supported with funding through the Premier League Foundation, as an extension to its Premier League Kicks programme, will target 4 areas that have become associated with nuisance behaviour and low level crime. By filling these spaces with positive activities and a regular community presence, the initiative…

City of Wolverhampton Council has worked with an 11-year-old girl and her family to turn her heartfelt messages of positivity into lasting feature for the city. Neriyah-Faith Spencer created handwritten posters with uplifting messages such as ‘you are amazing’ and ‘you are stronger than you think’ in a bid to help cheer up people across the city. After becoming aware of the positive messages, City of Wolverhampton Council contacted the family to propose a more permanent location for the artwork and help spread Neriyah’s messages. Working together, Neriyah’s cheerful messages were selected, designed and enlarged then displayed on…

More than 50 businesses and practitioners have joined a first of its kind scheme, supporting City of Wolverhampton Council’s work to improve safety in beauty services. 51 cosmetic and aesthetic businesses and practitioners have been approved for the voluntary Cosmetic Compliance Scheme which was launched by the council’s environmental health team in November. The scheme, believed to be the first of its kind in the country, was introduced following growing local and national concerns around high risk procedures in the beauty industry and poor levels of care. It aims to improve standards and provide reassurance to customers who…

Lanesfield Primary School is celebrating after being awarded the Platinum OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) Award – the highest level of accreditation – with an exceptional score of 94%. The award recognises schools that provide outstanding play opportunities and environments for children. It places Lanesfield among the leading schools in the UK for high‑quality, inclusive and imaginative play. Before Lanesfield began its OPAL journey, playtimes were challenging, with limited activities, restricted spaces and children separated by age. Since then, the school has transformed its approach to play, creating a vibrant, creative and collaborative environment for pupils of all ages.…

People in Wolverhampton are being urged to know the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease following an outbreak of Meningitis B in Kent which has sadly claimed the lives of 2 young people. Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but serious illness caused by meningococcal bacteria. Very rarely, these bacteria can lead to meningitis – inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord – and septicaemia, or blood poisoning. The onset of illness is often sudden and early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics are vital to prevent serious illness which can lead to permanent damage to the brain or…

A major new Learning Campus is set to open on the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital site, marking a significant milestone in the regeneration of Smethwick and the wider Sandwell area. The campus will expand access to education, training, and professional development for residents of all ages, helping local people gain the skills needed for future careers in a rapidly changing economy. Developed through a unique partnership between Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS trust and its Learning Works, Sandwell College, the University of Wolverhampton, Aston University, and Sandwell Council the Learning Campus will provide access to entry-level learning through…

Works will begin in sections of Lichfield Street and Queen Square early next month (April) as delivery of the major £19million Wolverhampton city centre transformation scheme progresses. There will be a short pause to operations on upper Darlington Street, between the Waterloo Road and North Street junctions, while the new locations are set up, after technical designs were finalised. First stage works on lower Darlington Street were completed in November ahead of the busy Christmas period. The overall scheme across all 3 locations remains on track to be completed in 2027 and will deliver high quality improvements such…