Village venue wants help with crucial repairs

MARSTON Green Parish Hall has launched an urgent appeal to help raise funds for vital roof repairs.
The Elmdon Road venue has revealed that the roof is at risk of collapse and £17,000 is needed to fix the problem.
Fundraising efforts have already brought in £6,000 and the hall has now turned to local people to ask for help with the rest.
They have said that they want to get the all important work done before the winter weather sets in. A Facebook statement said:
“If everyone in the village gives just £1 each we will be well on our way to fixing the roof. Of course, if you’re feeling generous feel free to give a little more!
“Your help will be very much appreciated and once the roof has been repaired, all donors will be invited to a party to celebrate!
“We are a registered charity and do not make enough profit to pay this amount out ourselves all at once. We really do need this to be a community effort!”
Residents will remember that the nearby village hall was forced to close its doors back in 2012, because of similar concerns
You can pledge support to the Fix Our Roof fund via their Facebook fundraising page.

Opening date for Castle Brom store is confirmed

A BUDGET food store - part of a new national brand launched by Tesco - is set to open in Castle Bromwich in the coming weeks.
Jack's, which replaces the Tesco Metro outlet which shut up shop back in August, will welcome its first customers on November 1.
The Jack's brand takes its name from the supermarket's founder Jack Cohen, who laid the foundations for the supermarket empire when he opened a market stall in London almost 100 years ago.
It's understood that the Castle Bromwich branch is one of the first two in the West Midlands, alongside another outlet scheduled to launch in Rubery this week.

Downing Street's praise for Chelmsley community centre

THE Prime Minister has paid a personal tribute to the "pivotal" work at a well-known Chelmsley Wood venue.
Theresa May's official account tweeted a picture of Meriden MP Caroline Spelman among a crowd at the Three Trees Centre.
The group pictured outside the venue also included a number of borough councillors and members of the Gro-Organic social enterprise.
In her post last Friday, Mrs May said: "@spelmanc is proud of the work of @3TreesCentre, which has been providing services in her constituency since 1970.
"Places like these are pivotal in so many communities, thank you for all that you do."
It's the second high-profile endorsement from a front rank politician in as many months.
A few weeks ago, Labour MP Chuka Umunna - once tipped as a possible leader of his party - paid a visit to Three Trees.
Mr Umunna joined Dame Caroline for a tour of the venue, with their visit forming part of the work being done by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration.
The group’s aim is to look at ways to break down barriers between communities of different ages or cultures.
Tweeting afterwards, Mr Umunna, the former Shadow Business Secretary, said he was impressed by the work being done at the community centre to build links between different generations.

Stay of execution for North Solihull green spaces

PLANS to dispose of precious green spaces have been put on hold, amid concerns that residents could lose land they have enjoyed for generations.
Councillors last week agreed to defer a decision on the three plots: Auckland Drive and Anglesey Avenue, in Smith's Wood, and Clopton Crescent, in neighbouring Chelmsley.
There had been a raft of complaints about the proposals, which could pave the way for houses being built on the public open spaces.
In the face of fierce opposition and a number of unanswered questions, cabinet members agreed last Thursday that they didn't have enough details to proceed.
Graham Craig, a local resident and former councillor himself, had urged the council to reconsider the plans for Auckland Drive (pictured above) and Anglesey Avenue.
He pointed out that those in nearby flats didn't have gardens and that it would be "an outrage" to replace trees with yet more concrete.
"Smith's Wood is the most densely populated ward in the whole of the borough," he said.
"When Smith's Wood was built, many, many years ago, these two plots of land which I'm talking about now were deliberately left...
"Auckland Drive was left for recreational purposes and secondly the land at the bottom of Anglesey Avenue was left as a green oasis basically.
"The land is held very seriously by the residents as much-needed."
Days before the crucial meeting, a petition signed by more than 200 Smith's Wood residents had been submitted to Full Council - stating that one wooded area at risk was believed to be a remnant of the ancient Forest of Arden.
Councillor James Burn, leader of Solihull's Green group, said: "This is building on green space that has long been green space, this wasn't previously a school...
"And they are small sites, at least two of these sites you can't really retain much [if you build there] because actually they're very small to start."
He had slated two consultation exercises, which he suggested had damaged public trust.
A key criticism was that councillors had been advised over the summer that there was little opposition to the plans, which Coun Burn said had been directly contradicted by responses he had since obtained.
Concerns were also raised that a email address for residents to send comments hadn't been working and that the Clopton Crescent site had been wrongly described as being in Smith's Wood.
During a debate, members agreed to defer the decision, with further work to be carried out on looking at alternative options and minimising the impact on the community.
Coun Joe Tildesley, cabinet member for leisure, tourism and sport, said: "Something like this comes in front of us and you read all the objections - and I see the Mayor had put an objection in - and a number of other notable people who some of us know well. And for me it is a worry."
Solihull Council's deputy leader, Coun Ian Courts, who chaired last week's decision session, said there was an urgent need for more homes but agreed the matter should be deferred "for further consideration".
"I'm not going to get into a discussion on consultation, that's for others to check and advise ... we have to do it properly, and we will do it properly.
"I think more work [needs] to be done on this."

Award nominations for new nursery in North Solihull

THE team behind a nursery near Marston Green is celebrating after being shortlisted for two local business awards.
Wiggles & Giggles was recently named among the nominees at this year’s Solihull Chamber of Commerce Awards.
The business, based at Birmingham Business Park, is in the running in two categories: “start-up business” and “young achiever”.
Russell Jeans, from Solihull Chamber, said: “It is clear that Solihull firms are continuing to thrive and excel against a background of growth and investment in the region.”
The winners will be announced at Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club on October 18

Plans put forward for Marston Green facility

IT is a facility which local GPs believe will make it easier to access their services and deal with the increasing number of patients in Marston Green.
And now, after more than a year of discussions, plans have been submitted for a purpose-built Medical Centre.
It is intended to pull down Oliver House and erect a brand-new building in Ivy Lodge Close, just off the Coleshill Road.
Aside from providing a new home for the existing doctor's surgery, the plans would bring a range of other services under one roof, including a pharmacy, gym, cafe and 50-place children's nursery.
Space would also be made available in the centre's car park area for a mobile scanning unit.
The proposal follows the national trend of bringing different services together at one location in an effort to provide a one-stop shop for patients, and ease pressures on hospitals.
There has also been concern within the village that several recent housing developments have piled extra pressure on local services, including the doctors.
The planning statement, submitted to Solihull Council earlier this month, said the site would "serve the village and surrounding catchment area, providing accommodation for the existing Marston Green Surgery [and other facilities]."
Discussions about the new development began early last year, with a community information day held in August and around 6,000 leaflets delivered through the door of nearby homes.
Tyler Parkes Planning Consultancy, who prepared the documents on behalf of the GPs, argued that the recent consultation had demonstrated widespread public support for the scheme.
While the current building at Oliver House is owned by the Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership, a deal has been struck which would see the premises pass to the applicant in the event they receive planning permission.
The proposal is now expected to go to Solihull's planning committee for consideration in the coming months.

Crossing plea at Smith's Wood site dismissed by council

A PEDESTRIAN crossing will not be installed on a Smith’s Wood road, despite widespread public concern.
More than 300 residents had previously backed an online petition to install the crossing in Burtons Way.
Concerns had been raised about traffic during peak periods and the likelihood of an accident at the location.
However, Solihull Council’s road chiefs have now confirmed that they do not believe there is sufficient evidence to justify a change.
Analysis suggests that there have been no collisions involving pedestrians along the stretch of road.
Checks had already been carried out following a previous call for action and fresh inspections were ordered following the latest petition, launched earlier this year.
Ashley Prior, head of highway services, said: “From our observations we don’t feel it’s dangerous... and there’s nowhere identifiable to put a particular crossing.”
There is also bad news for those campaigning for fixed speed cameras along Coleshill Heath Road, in Marston Green.
While the site has been added to a log and could be considered for a device down the line, officers deemed that no further action was needed at this time