Chelmsley Wood residents frustrated by "long-running saga"

A RESIDENT has made an impassioned case for Solihull Council to scrap plans to pull down a set of bungalows in Chelmsley Wood, which he claimed would “destroy” a close-knit community.
Peter Wilson has questioned the logic of bulldozing the single-storey homes in Lambeth Close, given that they are still structurally sound.
The homes in question have been at the centre of a long-running dispute, ever since it became apparent a few years ago that the council was considering demolishing the buildings as part of its Local Development Plan.
Up to 14 dwellings and the nearby Centurion pub would be affected by the proposals.
Mr Wilson, who has lived in the area since it was built in 1970, said that the residents had endured “a very long period of uncertainty.”
“They are now a little bit upset and annoyed that this saga is dragging on and on, year after year,” he told last month’s Full Council meeting.
“A forced move for the bungalow residents, many of whom are elderly and infirm, and have been in their houses for a very long time, would be traumatic.”
Councillor Ian Courts, the Deputy Leader of the Council, said the development was being considered as part of the wider Regeneration programme.
He insisted that “extensive consultation” to discuss residents’ personal needs and wishes would take place before any final decision is taken.

Marston Green mum supports a charity close to her heart

RUNNING PARTNERS: Katerina Pegg, with her
daughter Daisy and mum Susan.

A MARSTON Green mum – whose little girl has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder – recently ran a half-marathon in aid of the charity which has given her so much support.
Katerina Pegg, aged 29, was devastated to be told that her baby daughter Daisy had alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency – a condition which affects sufferers’ liver and lungs.
Daisy had been diagnosed when she was just a few weeks old after the family noticed that she was suffering from jaundice and was failing to gain weight.
A series of tests confirmed that the youngster had the condition – which is thought to affect just one in every 1,500 people.
Katerina, who works as a nurse, was put in touch with the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF), who were able to offer much-needed advice.
“Alpha-1 is rare... I had never heard of it, so we were so grateful to CLDF who were there with vital information which explained everything clearly to us and emotional support for us when we needed it most,” she said.
“Daisy responded to treatment and is currently doing well but her condition is a lifelong one and we want to ensure that CLDF will be there for her as she grows up.”
Katerina and her mum Susan decided to pull on their running shoes and tackle the Great Birmingham Run last month, hoping to raise £200.
Alison Taylor, the CLDF’s chief executive, said the organisation relied entirely on donations and the charity was “very grateful” that two generations of the same family had decided to take up the challenge.
The fundraising page can be found here.

Council readies for winter as colder weather sets in

WINTER WEATHER: Conditions in 2009/10 caught many councils off guard
and led to a renewed emphasis on planning for frequent snowfall.

SOLIHULL’S highways team is confident that it has made all the necessary preparations to keep the roads moving in the event of a bad winter.
Last year, the borough council had little to contend with; the weather throughout the traditional “gritting months” was milder and wetter than usual.
While this led to flooding in some areas – and a slight increase in the number of potholes – there was little by way of ice and snow.
Councillor Ted Richards, the cabinet member for transport and highways, said there was no reason for complacency – 4,500 tonnes of gritting salt has been stockpiled in readiness for this winter.
“We’re well geared up,” he said. “Let’s hope we don’t get a severe weather but if we do, it looks like we can cope with it.”
Councillor Stephen Holt (Green, Smith’s Wood) had questioned if the comparatively mild conditions in 2015/16 – when only 25 gritting runs took place – had saved the council any money.
He was informed, however, that gritting is “a fixed cost” service and the only saving would have been on the salt used.

Chelmsley Wood fireworks display supports charities

ORGANISERS are making the final preparations for Chelmsley Wood’s biggest fireworks display.
This year the event will take place on Bonfire Night itself (Saturday, November 5) at the playing fields behind the Town Council offices (near the junction of Helmswood Drive and Berwicks Lane.)
There will be a burger bar and children's rides and organisers will be raising money for Marie Curie and Birmingham Children's Hospital.
Gates open at 6pm, with the display scheduled to start at 7pm.

Grace Academy student wins Solihull Education Award

TOP OF THE CLASS: Chloe Sutton, far right, joins other pupils and teachers
at the Education Awards, hosted by the Mayor of Solihull, Mike Robinson

A STAR pupil at the Grace Academy has been recognised at the annual Education Awards, which are organised to honour hard-working students around the borough.
Chloe Sutton was among six students singled out for praise, receiving the award for “Outstanding English Student.”
The teenager was presented with her prize in a ceremony at Solihull’s Civic Suite last month.
Chloe, who received four A*s in her GCSEs, has recently started her A Levels and has hopes of becoming a university professor.
English teacher Rachel Winn said: “I have never before taught a student with such natural flair for my subject and it is truly a pleasure to sit back and read her work.”
The award winners were picked following a rigorous judging process.
Councillor Ken Meeson, cabinet member for children, education and skills, said: “The judging panel were hugely impressed with the number of outstanding nominations and the winners can take great pride in being chosen from such a strong field.”

Council vote paves the way for unpopular Babbs Mill development

AN appeal last month for Solihull Council to reconsider proposals to allow housing to be built on part of Babbs Mill Local Nature Reserve fell on deaf ears.
Eighty-eight objections were submitted to the local authority, urging councillors to rethink the plans – which have proven deeply controversial.
The council’s planning committee had already granted planning permission to build 52 houses on the green space but had yet to give the go ahead to strip a section of land of the nature reserve status – which needed to take place before building work could begin.
Despite the local opposition, the step was taken at a cabinet meeting on October 6, removing the final obstacle to the development.
Sarah Evans, who chairs the campaign group Action for Babbs Mill, said that activists were “gutted” to lose the latest battle.
“We [will] hold the developer to account making sure that they adhere to every promise and planning condition,” she said.
“Our group will now be moving forward to ensure that the remainder of the park is maintained to the high standard that it deserves.”
A report presented to councillors said that residents’ main objections included the loss of an important wildlife habitat, overcrowding and the general quality of the council’s consultation process.
It had previously been pointed out that advertising the intention to remove the nature reserve status in local newspapers was a futile gesture, since neither of Solihull’s weekly titles are delivered in the north of the borough.
Councillors ultimately agreed to press ahead with the “dedeclaration”, having concluded that the need for more housing outweighed the issues raised by locals.

Halloween bike rally causes chaos on North Solihull streets

SEIZED: Police have confiscated ten bikes, some of which were brought to
a stop using "stinger" devices.

UP to 100 bikers attacked a police van in Chelmsley Wood last night, after a mass rally descended into violence.

The motorcyclists had surrounded the vehicle in Yorkminster Drive, kicking at wing mirrors and attempting to smash the windows.

The gang, many of them masked, had only sped away after back-up had arrived at the scene.

Residents on the estate reported dozens of riders gathering on local streets around 9pm, with one eyewitness describing how the crowds brought nearby Moorend Avenue to "a standstill." Another likened the scenes to "like something from a Mad Max film."

There were also reports of the bikers racing through Marston Green, Castle Bromwich and other neighbouring areas.

One resident, reacting on Facebook, said: "What a stupid night to be out riding like idiots when there's little kids 'trick or treating' in the dark with dark clothing on. Just mindless."

The incidents were part of an event which had been advertised on social media as a "Halloween Ride Out" and involved hundreds of motorcyclists tearing along busy roads and through residential areas.

Police said the group had caused chaos around Birmingham and Solihull, jumping red lights, weaving in and out of traffic and performing dangerous stunts. There were even reports of bikers throwing fireworks at other motorists.

Five men and two male youths have been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, causing a public nuisance and motoring offences.

Chief Insp Jack Hadley, from West Midlands Police, described the behaviour as "loutish and criminal".

"Bikers were riding without lights, at speed, dangerously, pulling wheelies in the street, mounting pavements and damaging vehicles," he said.

"This kind of ‘event’ is outrageous and totally unacceptable and I sympathise with any members of the public that were inconvenienced by the bikers."

The rally was the latest in a series of incidents involving off-road bikes and motorcycles and comes only a matter of weeks after Solihull Council obtained an injunction which imposed a borough-wide ban on street  racing.

Some locals have accused the authorities of not doing more to intervene, but Chief Insp Hadley said that such incidents pose considerable challenges for officers on the ground.

"It is very difficult to plan for outbursts like this... we saw small groups of bikers speeding off in all directions. It is very hard for officers to try and contain that activity."