Huge fire hits business near Castle Bromwich

LATE NIGHT BLAZE: The flames tore through vehicles at the dealership
Credit/West Midlands Fire Service

AROUND 40 vehicles were engulfed in flames following a major blaze at a car dealership near Castle Bromwich.
Fire crews were called to British Car Auctions, a stone's throw from the M6 motorway, in the early hours of this morning.
Engines from Sheldon Fire Station were alerted at around 2am and fought for several hours to bring the inferno under control and prevent the fire spreading to nearby properties.
The emergency services confirmed that no-one was injured in the incident. An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway.

MP urges people to come together following EU vote

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman has made a call for the country to come together following last week's divisive referendum on EU membership.
Mrs Spelman, whose constituency includes North Solihull, had been among those campaigning for Britain to remain a member of the 28-nation bloc.
Last Friday, her hopes the electorate would back a new deal with Europe were crushed after it was confirmed that a slender majority had voted in favour of leaving.
The result has been followed by political upheaval, uncertainty in the financial markets and a number of angry exchanges between supporters of the Leave and Remain camps.
In a statement today, Mrs Spelman admitted that emotions were running high and called for people on both sides of the debate to show consideration for others.
"Now the referendum has been decided, we need to reflect on this decision and forge a clear way forward before we begin talks with other European leaders, establish a clear timetable for our departure from the European Union and work to stabilise our financial markets in the immediate wake of this result," she said.
"Whatever our views during the referendum campaign we must also come together with common purpose and, out of this result, build a generous and forward looking country, which can flourish as a strong global contributor – a builder of bridges, not barriers."

Kingshurst school plays host to First World War service

A LIFE-size replica of a First World War trench has been chosen as the setting for a special service to commemorate 100 years since the start of the Battle of the Somme.
Civic leaders will gather in the 130ft bunker, which was dug in the grounds of the CTC Kingshurst Academy two years ago, to remember the local men who lost their lives during the bloodletting a century ago.
In total, 24 soldiers who had lived or studied in Solihull died on the opening day of the offensive, which took place on July 1, 1916.
More than 100 others from around the borough were killed in the months that followed, with military chiefs finally bringing the effort to an end in the November of that year.
There will be poetry readings by CTC students and a minute's silence at the event.
The Mayor of Solihull, Coun Mike Robinson, is among the dignitaries attending on the day.
"The Battle of the Somme was one of the most devastating battles in British history," he said.
"This commemoration event will be a fitting tribute to those who fell from across the country but particularly from Solihull."
While the service is invite-only, the following day (Saturday) there will be a public exhibition, with information about local people who served in the battlefields of France and genuine artefacts on display.
Children will also have an opportunity to take part in rope-climbing, learn how to apply a medical dressing and find out about the periscopes which were used by those fighting on the Western Front.

• You can read more about the event in the July edition of our digital newspaper.

Sell out for Chelmsley Wood stage show

SONGS FROM THE SHOWS: West End star Rachael Louise Miller (centre)
and the Magic of the Musicals choir

A SELL-out show at the Grace Academy - which attracted the backing of a number of West End stars - has been hailed as a big success.
There was standing room only at the Chelmsley Wood school, where the professionals were joined on stage by a 200-strong community choir.
The Magic of the Musicals concert saw the group belt out numbers from some of the best-known stage shows from the history of theatre.
Year 10 student Bethany Ball, among the pupils who took part in the performance, said: "It’s been a lot of hard work and commitment and it’s turned into an amazing show."
Grace Academy's Principal Darren Gelder said: "This has been a sell-out evening of entertainment, music, and a fantastic opportunity for the young people at the Academy to work with primary school children and professionals.
"It has been incredibly well supported by the community with standing room only and it is an expression of our continuing commitment to the Academy’s arts programme."

Solihull backs leaving the EU

A MAJORITY of Solihull voters backed leaving the European Union (EU) in yesterday's referendum.

Out of the 121,950 people who cast their ballot papers, 56 per cent (68,484) voted in favour of Britain quitting the 28-nation bloc. Over three quarters of eligible voters made the trip to the polling station. 

While results for Solihull's individual wards have not been made public, it's understood that even within the borough there were varying degrees of support.

Councillor Chris Williams (Green, Chelmsley Wood) tweeted that in some of the 17 wards the contest was close, while admitting that in others it was a case of "spot the Remain vote."

The results, which were declared in the early hours of this morning, reflected a wider vein of Eurosceptic feeling throughout the Midlands.

Across the region, the overwhelming majority of council areas backed Brexit, with Warwick and the Cotswolds the only areas where a majority supported remaining part of the EU.

It is thought that the groundswell of support for leaving in traditional working class communities may have swung the crucial vote in favour of the UK departing the institution it joined 43 years ago. 

Politicians from the two sides of the debate reacted to the news with either shock or delight.

Meriden MP Caroline Spelman, who was among the Tory backbenchers who supported remaining in the EU, said she was concerned about what impact the outcome would have on the region's economy.
"I accept the democratic result of the referendum and will do all I can to help my constituency and my country navigate this historic change," she said.

Councillor Debbie Evans (UKIP, Kingshurst & Fordbridge) paid tribute to the work of local activists and said that the result would allow Britain to become "a true democracy."

Report raises concern about Solihull's drinking culture

MORE than 40,000 people in Solihull regularly drink a dangerous amount of alcohol, a Solihull Council study suggests.
Across the borough as a whole, there are estimated to be in excess of 27,000 binge drinkers and more than 6,000 who show signs of alcohol dependency.
Data compiled by the local authority shows that heavy drinking places a hefty burden on the local economy and can fuel crime – around four in 10 of all violent offences in Solihull are alcohol-related.
The report, which was presented to councillors last month, said: “The vast majority of people who drink alcohol in Solihull do so responsibly, however a significant number of the borough’s population drink more than they realise.
“Stronger alcohol and generous home measures are contributing to damage to people’s health, often without them realising. Every year we are seeing more and more people admitted to hospital with alcohol-related conditions.”
The authorities take a number of different approaches in an attempt to tackle the problem, including public awareness campaigns, encouraging responsible drinking, and treatment programmes for those in particular difficulties.

Marston Green residents concerned by business park plan

PLANS to expand Birmingham Business Park have been widely criticised in Marston Green, with one resident claiming that constant development risked turning the village into “an industrial estate.”
A planning application has been submitted which, if approved, would see the creation of four new buildings, with associated car parks and service yards.
There are particular concerns that the scheme would have a serious impact on those residents living in nearby Coleshill Heath Road and Blackfirs Lane.
Bickenhill & Marston Green Parish Council have said that “utmost care” must be taken to ensure that locals don’t suffer as a result of the development.
The concerns they have raised include the imposing design of the new buildings and the increase in noise and activity on the site, which at the moment is predominantly made up of office buildings.
They have urged Solihull Council to impose strict conditions on operating hours, amid fears that deliveries and other work would take place throughout the night.
Mark Rutter, who lives in Blackfirs Lane, said that development of the land would impact on a “semirural” part of the community.
“The traffic on the park at peak hours is already an issue, with long traffic queues,” he wrote on Facebook.
“Despite the application showing low noise, I don’t accept this in reality and noise will be an issue.”
Joseph Carbery described the proposals as “outrageous” and complained about plans to build on another area of green space – already a source of controversy in a community which has lost large tracts of land in recent years.
U+I Group, who own the land, held a public exhibition earlier this month and invited local people to attend. In a letter sent to residents, they pointed out that the site had already been earmarked for employment-led development by Solihull Council.
Marcello Burbante, development manager, said: “The team are keen to listen to local people and hear their views.”