Thousands raised following death of much-loved local man

MORE than £5,000 has been raised for an appeal to help meet the funeral costs of a man killed in a collision last month.

An online fundraising page was set up following the death of Ross Williams, who was involved in an incident on the Collector Road while travelling to work.

The 37-year-old, who worked in Solihull Council's education department, was described as having "a heart of gold".

Almost 200 people had pledged money via the Just Giving page, with the £4,000 target easily exceeded.

Donations continued to be made last week and the total currently stands at £5.262.

Paying tribute to Mr Williams, the page said: "He helped and changed the lives of so many children and families in Solihull and had such a kind heart and compassionate nature. 

"He always went above and beyond to help and nothing was ever too much trouble. He will be missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him."

The three-vehicle collision had happened on the morning of January 11. Two men, aged 42 and 45, had been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and were bailed pending further enquiries.

Disappointing HS2 news for Chelmsley residents

THERE has recently been disappointing news for Chelmsley Wood residents waiting to discover how they will be compensated for the impact of HS2.
Locals had been hoping that a significant improvement project would be announced to make up for the loss of part of Heath Park.
One proposal would have been to invest money in Bluebell Park, a short distance away, but at a recent meeting it was confirmed that any scheme would not be specifically incorporated into HS2’s mitigation measures.
Instead it would depend on a successful bid to the project’s Community and Environment Fund.
Coun Karl Macnaughton (Green, Chelmsley Wood) said: “That is obviously a potential avenue for some improvements.
“I am disappointed. I was very much led to believe there would be more to come ... and if that’s all that’s come I think that’s quite poor.”
Dame Caroline Spelman had said that she would like to see residents offered assistance in preparing bids.
“It is going to require a bit of extra help. Goodwill will stand you in good stead during what is inevitably a period of disruption.”
Residents have been pushing for answers for several years as to how they will be compensated for the removal of land at Heath Park.
It had originally been hoped that a replacement open space would be provided at Brickfields Farm. But this proposal was ruled out when the HS2 plans progressed through the House of Lords.
This prompted some to suggest that the improvements to Bluebell Park would be a sensible alternative.

Fears HS2 could heap extra traffic on Chester Road

CONCERNS have been raised that the Chester Road could be flooded with construction traffic when work starts on the HS2 rail link.
There have been complaints about congestion at several points along one of North Solihull’s busiest routes.
And Meriden’s MP, Dame Caroline Spelman, is worried that a further increase in vehicles may make matters worse.
She has suggested it might be more appropriate for the lorries to make greater use of the Collector Road instead.
Pointing out that the dual carriageway had been built to ease traffic on the M6, she believed it could have key role to play.
“The Chester Road is very, very busy, very congested,” she told HS2 officials at a recent meeting.
“[It] has had some pedestrianisation, which means it has actually been narrowed to slow the traffic. “And in the rush hour it becomes very congested. It’s a ribbon development, so you’ve got residential [homes] close to the highway along the entire length of it.
“Traffic can be stationary at times and I wondered if any more thought had been given to getting the traffic off onto the Collector Road.”
Jonathan Lord, HS2’s senior area engagement manager, said that the company would look at the issues and report back.
With construction due to start in earnest in the coming months, fears that the project could cause great disruption on local roads have grown.
It has already been reported that one route in the Balsall Common area will be used by up to 400 vehicles a day.

Five charged with helping Kingshurst man's killer

FIVE people were due to appear in court today (Wednesday), charged with helping a young man convicted of a murder in Kingshurst.
Callum Lees was stabbed in the neck during a house party in Hopwas Grove, Kingshurst in 2017.
He was found collapsed in nearby Haselour Road and later died from the wound.
Last August, James Atherley, 21, was convicted of murdering the 20-year-old and was sentenced to 26 years behind bars.
This week police confirmed that three men and two women had been charged with assisting an offender and were set to appear at Birmingham Magistrates.
The accused have been named as:
Kelly Palmer, 40, from Letitia Avenue, Solihull
Zac Palmer, 22, from Fallowfield Avenue, Solihull
Kelly Casey, 38, from Letitia Avenue, Solihull
Cian Murphy, 22, from Colesbourne Road, Solihull
Brad Hope, 21, from Lyndon Road, Fenheam, Newcastle.
Det Insp Jim Colclough, from the force’s homicide team, said: "Callum's family has been kept fully updated with this development."

News at last on Kingshurst Parade redevelopment

AN UPDATE on the Kingshurst Parade redevelopment is finally due to be presented to councillors next week.
Plans to upgrade the run-down precinct have suffered a number of delays, with residents frustrated by a lack of news.
Now a planning brief has been prepared, including details of the multi-million pound scheme, and this will be presented to the council's cabinet on Thursday.
Subject to their approval, a four-week consultation will follow.
Although there is still a way to go before construction work can start, with a planning application needing to be submitted, considered and approved.
The council report admits that the current Parade, which was built in the 1960s, has deteriorated over the decades. The buildings are described as "dated, poor quality, and not fit for purpose."
Two years ago it was agreed that a wholesale demolition of the site was the best way forward, with little support locally for a more modest refurbishment.
While it was always intended to redevelop the area as part of the wider North Solihull Regeneration, securing funding has proven difficult and the plans have been pushed back several times.
The condition of the shopping area - including concerns about anti social behaviour - was one of the main concerns raised at a public meeting at Seeds of Hope in 2017.
Seeing similar village centres started and finished at nearby Chelmund's Court and North Arran Way has added to the anger in Kingshurst.

Chelmsley Wood raid finds handgun hidden under bed

POLICE found a handgun hidden under a bed during a late-night raid in Chelmsley Wood.
Officers had swooped on the Oxford Grove flat in the early hours of this morning (Friday) and had found the firearm concealed.
A 30-year-old man was arrested and remains in police custody while experts examine the weapon - which could be a converted blank-firing pistol.
The handgun was one of four firearms seized by West Midlands Police in just 12 hours.
DCI Ian Ingram, said: "These are some really notable seizures… firearms and ammunition that at the very least could have been used to threaten but potentially kill.
"These recoveries may well have saved lives."

Have your say on North Solihull housing plans

NOW's your chance to find out more about plans to put new homes on sites in North Solihull.
Solihull Council has fired the starting pistol on a six-week consultation, with residents asked for their views on the housing proposals.
The draft Local Plan is the all-important blueprint which will shape development across the borough into the 2030s.
One of the most controversial items in its 100 plus pages is the list of more than 20 sites, which have been earmarked for over 6,000 houses.
The north has much smaller allocations than some parts of the borough, although there are up to 100 homes included in the long-delayed Kingshurst Parade redevelopment.
In nearby Smith's Wood there is a proposal to fit 50 homes at Jensen House, in Auckland Drive.
Residents have until March 15 to make their feelings known, with the plan set to be finalised in the year ahead and adopted in 2020.
There is also a drop-in session at Chelmsley Wood Library tomorrow (Saturday), from 11am-3pm.
More on the Local Plan proposals and what they will mean locally in our next edition.