Police appeal following attempted robbery in Marston Green

POLICE have issued CCTV images of an attempted armed robbery in Marston Green.
On September 30, a masked man had barged into the One Stop store, in Station Road, clutching a house brick.
He had ordered the cashier to hand over cash from the till, but instead the quick-thinking assistant had pushed the panic alarm and the would-be robber fled the scene empty handed.
It's believed he escaped as a passenger in a dark-coloured Ford Ka.
Police said their suspect was a white man, dressed in dark clothing. He was wearing a grey hood and had a scarf wrapped around his face. The incident happened around 10pm.
Eyewitnesses are urged to call Sergeant Christopher Burt on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Oaks and Shires event at Babbs Mill

WORKING HOOF AND NAIL: Tan Tan has been helping
manage the woodland in North Solihull this week.
Photo/Landscape Solihull

STORM-force winds earlier this week were responsible for a fair bit of "woodland management."
But conservationists can't just rely on autumn gusts to keep overhanging branches in check and heavy horses still play an important part in clearing timber.
Weighing up to a tonne, the sturdy beasts of burden can move wood equivalent in weight to a double-decker bus in the space of a single day.
They're still called upon today because of the problems of using modern machinery on boggy ground or in locations where trees grow especially densely.
Today local people can visit Babbs Mill/Yorks Wood and find out more about the part that the animals play in managing woodland.
There will also be traditional crafts such as willow weaving, children's activities and hot and cold refreshments.
The event runs until 3pm this afternoon (Saturday). Public access via the Babbs Mill car park, off Fordbridge Road.

North Solihull's restaurant ratings revealed

OVER a dozen food outlets in North Solihull were told they needed to make major improvements during their last hygiene inspection.
A total of 16 premises locally received the dubious honour of a “one star rating” from food safety inspectors.
A couple of chip shops, a curry house and several convenience stores were among the businesses who received the ranking.
One takeaway in Chelmsley Wood performed even worse and is among just four outlets – from the hundreds inspected in Solihull – that currently has no stars at all. This means that urgent improvements need to be made to the hygiene standards.
It is worth noting that those businesses criticised for their cleanliness are far outnumbered by those who scored a perfect rating from inspectors.
Over 100 premises in the north of the borough were awarded with the coveted five star rating (15 in Castle Bromwich, 40 in Marston Green, 12 in Kingshurst, 16 in Smith’s Wood and 23 in Chelmsley Wood.)
This group included a number of the area’s most popular eateries – including Big Johns, in Cooks Lane, and the Kismet Indian Restaurant, on the Bradford Road.
The rating system is run by Solihull Council in conjunction with the Food Standards Agency and every business is judged by a strict set of food hygiene criteria.
The council said customers were increasingly paying attention to the number of stars that a company had received, and there was an onus on proprietors to work for a good rating.
Councillor Karen Grinsell, cabinet member for communities and partnerships, said: “Businesses should be rewarded for their efforts to maintain the best hygiene conditions in their restaurants.
“More and more people say they are checking the food hygiene rating of businesses before they go out to eat, which is great as it means people are rewarding businesses who strive to hit the requirements.”
Businesses are not required to display their rating, although the scores are readily available online at www.food.gov.uk/ratings

"Unfair" studies cast North Solihull in a poor light

FAIR COMPARISON? - New analysis questions the tendency to compare
North Solihull with villages such as Knowle (pictured, above).

CONSTANTLY comparing North Solihull to suburbs several miles away gives a misleading impression of the area, it has been claimed.
Simeon Bright, a community organiser based in Chelmsley Wood, has warned that drawing direct parallels with semi-rural communities such as Knowle or Balsall Common has served to damage the area’s standing.
In a blog post last month, he argued that it made far more sense to use neighbouring districts of
Birmingham as a reference point when trying to assess issues such as unemployment.
Part of the problem is that because such as Chelmsley Wood and Kingshurst are part of Solihull
Council, it is far more common for studies to look at the areas in relation to the other wards in the borough – even though some of them are over 10 miles away.
In an attempt to readdress the balance, Mr Bright decided to see how one area of North Solihull, namely Fordbridge, compared to the nearby estates of Kitts Green and Garretts Green (which are in Birmingham).
This analysis produced a number of surprising results, including:
• The number of adults gaining formal qualifications is growing faster in Fordbridge than the neighbouring areas of Birmingham.
• Residents are generally healthier than those in Kitts Green and Garretts Green.
• Fordbridge beats the Birmingham average for the number of people in full-time work.
It is important to bear in mind that in many key areas, the neighbourhood is still trailing the national average, but the analysis suggests that in future local authorities should look across borders when assessing the challenges which face areas.
“It isn’t really fair to compare areas of Solihull that are demographically distinct and geographically distant,” said Mr Bright.
“A side-effect of this is that North Solihull is constantly regarded as the poorer cousin of the South, when actually, in context there are many positives compared with similar areas in neighbouring Birmingham.
“Constantly comparing North to South will do nothing to shake off the unfair reputation the area holds.”

Girl rushed to hospital following Chelmsley Wood collision

A TEENAGE girl was seriously injured after being struck by a car in Chelmsley Wood yesterday afternoon (Saturday).
The collision happened on the A452 Chester Road at around 4.50pm.  A rapid response vehicle and an ambulance attended the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Crews arrived to find a teenage girl that had suffered serious head injuries in the incident. Emergency treatment was carried out at the scene by medics."
The 14-year-old was transferred by ambulance to Birmingham Children's Hospital for emergency treatment. Police confirmed today that she remains in the critical care unit and officers have appealed for witnesses.
PC Stuart Pryor said: "I would like to hear from anyone who has not already spoken to a police officer to contact us so that we can establish how this young girl came about her injuries."
The driver of the silver Ford Fiesta has been spoken to and is co-operating fully with the investigation.
Eyewitnesses can contact the collision investigation unit on 101.

New Christmas display unveiled in Marston Green

CHRISTMAS lights have been installed in Marston Green, following calls from residents for a more vibrant display in the village.

Bickenhill and Marston Green Parish Council said it had listened to local people's comments and that eight lamp posts along Station Road had been hung with lights.

These will complement the tree that is traditionally placed at the centre of the village and are seen as the first phase of a new project.

The parish council admitted that decorations were quite expensive and it would look to follow the example of other areas of Solihull, where local businesses have been encouraged to sponsor lights.

This will hopefully pave the way for a display which covers a wider area being unveiled in 2016.

Chelmsley Wood woman receives Civic Honour

LOCAL HEROES: This year's award winners with the Mayor of Solihull

A WOMAN who has served the local community for more than 30 years has received a Solihull Civic Honour.
Patricia Hayes was recognised for her tireless efforts at ChelmsleyWood Baptist Church, receiving the Community Involvement Award.
She has been involved in all aspects of the venue’s activities, from helping out with the local kids’ clubs to co-ordinating lunches and community events.
The Civic Honours are organised annually by Solihull Council and honour those who have distinguished themselves in local life.
A council spokesman said: “Pat is a shining example of a selfless volunteer, always with the community’s interests at heart.”
This year’s ceremony took place at Solihull Civic Suite on October 21. Other winners included Karen Carney, who plays for the England women’s football team, and teenage ballroom dancing champion Rebecca Scott.