New College, Oxford has commissioned the world-renowned British Sculptor Paul Day to create a unique work of art which will celebrate the College’s role as the official birthplace of the MG marque. The unique bronze sculpture is due to be unveiled in the summer of 2026 and will be sited in a courtyard garden behind the Longwall Street building where William Morris and Cecil Kimber formally founded MG in May 1924 when the iconic MG Octagon was registered as a trademark of Morris Garages. Miles Young, Warden of New College, explains: “New College’s remarkable history dates back to 1379, however…

The Council wants to know what you think the borough’s information and advice service for adults should look like in future. The current service, run from community advice hubs in Chelmsley Wood library and The Core in Solihull town centre, provides information and advice about topics including finding and arranging care, support to manage disabilities and health conditions, applying for benefits, managing debt and energy efficiency. Councillor Tony Dicicco, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, explains that feedback will help the Council to decide on the new approach to community information and advice which will start in April…

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…

These events are part of a five-year project called Better Research for Better Health, creating a Health Determinants Research Collaboration in Sandwell, which is funded by the National Institute for Health Research. The aim is to improve how the council gathers and uses information to make decisions about local services. By listening to residents, the council can make sure that services truly meet the needs of the community and provide good value for money. The council wants to hear from people about what matters most to them when it comes to health and wellbeing. The roadshows will also give residents…

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services, with some of the types of items picked up during the small electricals and battery collection service City of Wolverhampton Council is celebrating the efforts of recycling residents who are making good use of the city’s free small electricals collection service. Hundreds of old or unwanted electrical items and thousands of batteries have already been collected and recycled under the scheme. A wide range of items have been picked up by the council’s waste crews since the free kerbside collection service began. Crews have collected kettles, landline phones and old irons,…

Rolls-Royce creates a unique time capsule to mark its Goodwood extension project Ceremony involving members of Rolls-Royce’s Future Talent programme to officially seal the capsule To be opened on the marque’s 150th anniversary in 2054 Contains artefacts chosen by each department and function across the company Objects include those likely to be obsolete, and others potentially still in use, 30 years hence “With this time capsule, we’re creating our own piece of history to hand on to our successors here at Goodwood. It serves as a snapshot of who we are and what we do today, by preserving some of…

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…

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, Cabinet Member for Transport and Green City at City of Wolverhampton Council in North Street A plan to develop a network of walking, wheeling and cycling routes to improve air quality, cut traffic and encourage active lifestyles is set to be backed by City of Wolverhampton Council leaders. The council’s cabinet will be asked to support the Black Country Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Plan at its meeting on 19 March. The collaborative blueprint involves all 4 Black Country councils and is for an interconnected network of active travel routes across the region. It will make walking,…

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…

New research from eBay, one of the UK’s leading online marketplaces for car parts and accessories, has found that one in 10 motorists never check their wiper blades for faults or damage, despite them being a common factor in failed MOTs. A fifth (23%) of participants in the study only check the condition of their wiper blades when they have an MOT or service on their vehicle, while almost half of people (43%) change their wiper blades when their annual car check-up is due. While they may not be considered a particularly important part to replace for many car owners,…