Ex-Chelmsley Wood councillor hits back at complacency claim

A FORMER Labour councillor has strongly denied the suggestion that his party took support in Chelmsley Wood for granted.
Nick Stephens (pictured), who represented the community for four years, prior to losing his seat in 2014, was responding to an article in The Guardian about how the Greens had emerged as the dominant party in large parts of North Solihull.
The author Lynsey Hanley said that the surge in support for a proimmigration party suggested that the erosion of the Labour vote in former heartlands was not because working class people were becoming more right-wing in their views, and in fact their main concern was not being listened to.
Ms Hanley argued the Greens’ success on the estate where she grew up had been because they had engaged with residents.
She said: “Meeting people’s needs at a local level goes beyond leftright party politics, and this is where progressive parties can and must steal a march on right-wing charlatans who promise the stars and aren’t interested in delivering them.”
In a letter to the paper, Mr Stephens hit back and pointed out that it was he who had won back the seat in 2010 following the shock victory of the British National Party (BNP).
When he was unseated himself four years later, he said the Greens had played heavily on discontent over the Regeneration programme, but argued they had done a “poor job” holding the Conservative-run council to account since becoming the official opposition.
“The Greens established a foothold in Chelmsley Wood by bringing in swathes of supporters (and sometimes their candidates) from across the West Midlands, which was almost impossible to fight against,” said Mr Stephens.
“While I have respect for some individual Green party councillors who no doubt work hard as their Labour predecessors did, I totally reject the glib comments that Labour councillors took Chelmsley Wood for granted, as I gave a huge amount of time in serving the residents of an area with historical social problems, while holding a full-time job at the same time.”

Rider badly hurt in Chester Road crash

A YOUNG man was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash yesterday morning (Tuesday).
Emergency services were called to the A452 Chester Road, near Birmingham Business Park, following reports of a rider in collision with an Audi A3.
The 23-year-old man was rushed to hospital after having suffered what were described as "life-changing" injuries. It is understood he is still undergoing treatment.
The road was closed for several hours while police dealt with the aftermath of the crash and they are now appealing to anyone who saw what happened or who was in the area at the time to come forward.
Det Sgt Paul Hughes said: "This collision happened on a very busy main road and there would have been motorists who would have seen what happened."
The incident happened at around 9am. If you have any information call officers on 101.

Ex-Kingshurst councillor backs mobile phone crackdown

THE region's Police and Crime Commissioner has given his wholehearted support to the tougher approach being taken with drivers who use their mobile phone at the wheel.
David Jamieson, who previously served as a councillor for Kingshurst & Fordbridge, argued that the increased penalties had overwhelming public support.
Under the changes, which came into force at the start of the month, those caught texting or making calls without hands-free equipment face six points on their licence and a £200 fine.
The Government said it had decided to make punishments more severe amid concerns that the seriousness of the crime wasn't getting through to many motorists - even though it is 13 years since the offence was first introduced.
Mr Jamieson, who actually steered through the original ban during his time as a Labour MP, said: "These tougher penalties are welcomed by all sensible road users, as driving while using a handheld mobile phone is potentially lethal.
"This is about saving lives. Studies have found that motorists who talk on their handheld phone while driving are four times more like to crash. Statistics also show that in just five years there were more than 3,000 accidents involving a driver on the phone."
Previous studies have found driver reaction times when using a mobile phone are  actually 30 per cent slower than someone who is just over the drink drive limit; and 50 per cent slower than under normal driving conditions.

Plans for Chelmsley Wood seat would tie together areas with "weak" links

REDRAWN: The Chelmsley Wood and Solihull North
seat was unveiled last year.

A COUNCILLOR has said that he cannot support plans for the new constituency of Chelmsley Wood and Solihull North, because he believes it will bind together communities with no historic ties.
Coun Chris Williams (Green, Chelmsley Wood) said that although he liked the name of the new seat - which would enhance the profile of his own ward - the plans to withdraw parliamentary boundaries didn't seem logical.
The electoral map is being heavily altered as part of efforts by the Government to give each constituency a similar number of voters.
But there has been criticism about the changes being proposed for areas such as the West Midlands, where for the first time some MPs will represent areas which may include districts from more than one council.
In Solihull, there is a view that the current constituencies could be kept largely unchanged, but are being bent out of shape as a knock-on effect of the alterations in neighbouring Birmingham.
Under the proposals, the north of the borough would form part of a new brand-new seat, grouped together with Sheldon and some parts of South Solihull.
Addressing a Boundary Commission event in Birmingham, Coun Williams argued this was far from ideal.
He said: "The Solihull wards north of the A45 have a weak community connection with Sheldon, Lyndon and Elmdon as well as a poor physical connection as the airport’s runway splits the proposed constituency very much in two."
Coun Bob Sleigh, the leader of Solihull Council, was similarly concerned about what was being put forward.
"I believe that these proposals will undermine the sense of community... and lead to less effective representation for the people of Solihull."
Interestingly only one resident from the north of the borough appears to have made a submission to the Boundary Commission and was broadly sympathetic to the changes.
By comparison there was a scattering of criticism from those living in those other areas which would form part of the Chelmsley Wood and Solihull North seat.
Steve Rogers, from Sheldon, said: "I do not want to be classed as part of Chelmsley Wood. This is a Birmingham address not part of Solihull and should be left this way."
And Andrew Redfern, of Hampton-in-Arden, said he was concerned that the village's needs would be overlooked if it was linked with an overwhelmingly urban seat.
The Boundary Commission is currently digesting the comments it has received around the country and it remains to be seen if the plans locally will be subject to any changes.

Marston Green school chef just misses out on title

A SCHOOL chef has been "highly commended" in the national finals of this year's School Chef of the Year Competition.
Jose Davies Kochakkadan, who is in charge of the kitchens at Marston Green Infant Academy, had made it to the final stage of the contest for the second time.
Last Thursday he represented the West Midlands against nine other top chefs from around the country.
In a contest held in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the finalists were asked to produce a two course children's meal on a budget of just £1.30.
Father-of-two Jose said that youngsters could be the toughest critics, but it was important to encourage healthy eating.
"If you can please children, you can please anyone in this world," he added.
He impressed the panel of chefs and catering professionals with an Indian-inspired main followed by frangipane made from mashed potatoes.
The eventual winner was Tracy Healy, who is the catering supervisor at a school in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

Residents urged to be vigilant following Castle Brom burglaries

POLICE have pledged to step up patrols after an increase in burglary offences in Castle Bromwich.
The suburb was one of two in Solihull, the other being Olton, which have been identified by officers as seeing a spike in break-ins.
Police urged residents to sign up to Neighbourhood Watch schemes and focus on home security, warning that opportunists will often take advantage if doors or windows are left open.
A police spokesman said: "We are taking additional police patrols and have set up a number of capture houses − homes fitted with hidden cameras and infrared sensors − which catch offenders in the act. "We are able to remotely track all of the items in the houses to provide damning evidence which we use in court."
A spate of burglaries was one of the main concerns raised by residents during a public meeting at Arden Hall earlier this year.
Officers had acknowledged that Castle Bromwich presented a tempting target to criminals because it was "a nice area" with larger properties.
Twenty break-ins were reported in the neighbourhood in December according to the website UKCrimeStats, making burglary the most common type of crime in the area. Figures for the first two months of 2017 have not yet been released.

Donate vital supplies to local foodbank

CASTLE Bromwich residents have helped feed more than 250 people since the start of the year.
St Mary & St Margaret's Church is a collection point for the Kingfisher Foodbank, which provides food to local people in need.
Tinned meat, tinned fish, fruit juice and toiletries are among the products that people are being encouraged to donate.
Bring items to the church on Wednesday or Sunday morning, or alternatively drop them in at the parish office on Monday, Wednesday or Friday.
Figures released last year by the Trussell Trust have shown that the number of people using foodbanks is still at record levels.Overall 1,109,309 emergency food packages were distributed by the charity in 2015-16.