Serving the Local Community
The Local Development Schme is available to view online and contains projected timescales for the review:
Scope, Issues and Options Consultation November 2015 – January 2016
Draft Local Plan Autumn 2016
Publication of Submission Draft Spring 2017
Submission to Secretary of State Summer 2017
Adoption of Local Plan Review Winter 2017
If you have any further queries, please contact the Local Plan Review teamm at psp@solihull.gov.uk
An application for a variation to the Premises Licence has been received in respect of Shell Box Trees, Stratford Road, Hockley Heath, B94 6NS. The application is to extend hours for sale of alcohol to 0600-2300hours, remove and add licensing conditions and update plans.
The application can be viewed using this link http://www.solihull.gov.uk/Business/Licences/entertainmentandalcohollicences/entertainmentalcohollicencingrepresentations
Should you wish to make a representation it must relate to the effect of the licence on the promotion of the licensing objectives:-
· Prevention of crime and disorder;
· Public safety;
· Prevention of public nuisance; and
· Protection of children from harm
Any representation must be made in writing by 12th July 2016, to the Licensing Manager, Moat Lane Depot, Solihull, B91 2LW, or by email to licensing@solihull.gov.uk
The Council will examine the WMCA Governance Review, which details how the Mayor and WMCA will be governed. The review explains the democratic arrangements which underpin the Draft Mayoral Functions Scheme, which the seven constituent WMCA councils are being asked to approve before a public consultation on the scheme in June and July.
The scheme envisages the Mayor chairing a WMCA board which is made up of the leaders of the seven constituent councils.
An elected Mayor is a condition of this first Devolution Agreement, which will bring £36.5m of extra investment per annum over the next 30 years, alongside devolved powers from Westminster. These include improving transport connectivity, investment into infrastructure and a regional review of skills provision and employment support to ensure local people can make the most of the job opportunities that will come from this investment.
A Mayor will control the five year transport budget; be responsible for a key route network (integrated transport offer across trains and buses); have finance responsibilities, alongside being able to raise a mayoral precept and a business rate supplement (although these will need LEP and council leaders’ approval).
A WMCA Mayor will have other responsibilities around training for work, the HS2 Growth Strategy and initiatives aimed at driving up productivity and economic growth, although any decisions would require majority approval of the WMCA board and will be subject to local democratic scrutiny.
A consultation regarding the proposals in the Draft Mayoral Function Scheme is required under legislation by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. This two month consultation is expected to begin at the end of June, with an election for the mayor on 4 May 2017.
Councillor Bob Sleigh, Leader of Solihull Council, said:
“We have worked long and hard across the West Midlands to establish the WMCA. We have shown government we can work together effectively. This is why we have been able negotiate a devolution agreement that brings an extra £36.5 million a year to the region over the next 30 years – altogether an £8 billion investment package.
“As PwC and Grant Thornton recently reported, the WMCA and our devolution agreement with government has ‘provided councils with the ability to go further and faster in exploiting the economic potential of the area’, which meets Solihull’s economic-plus test.
“At every stage of this journey we have carefully considered the benefits to be gained, both for the region and in my case, Solihull. A condition of this first Devolution Agreement was a Mayor. Because of the significance of the Agreement to the future prosperity of Solihull and the region, it’s a condition we can accept. Also, the Mayoral Functions Scheme will see the mayor working with the leaders and not separately or above us.
“To reassure everyone the Mayor will not come with planning powers. Planning powers will remain with each constituent council and through each council’s Local Plan. Also a Mayor’s budget will require the WMCA cabinet to approve it.
“Agreeing to the Mayor and this Devolution Agreement is about new powers coming from Westminster to the region, which I feel should be celebrated and embraced as much as the £8 billion investment into the region has been.
“It is clear from the governance arrangements that a Mayor will have to work with the leaders, and vice-versa. The partnership approach with the Mayor, leaders, LEPs and non-constituent members working together for the region will be about building a strong voice for the region, a voice that government cannot ignore.
“Devolution gives us powers and opportunity that we would not otherwise get. The Mayoral role, through our work with government, will operate within an already strong local democratic system and therefore I believe we can continue to work with this approach.
Mayor opens The Core, Solihull
The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Michael Robinson, officially opened The Core last Friday, 20 May.
The Mayor was joined by representatives from Arts Council England, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and fellow councillors to celebrate the grand opening of Solihull’s flagship community building.
The £2.3 million refurbishment of The Core (formerly known as the Central Library & Arts Complex) aimed to improve the existing facilities within the building and bring a number of key services for residents together under one roof.
The Core is home to a library, theatre and café bars (Encore and Ovations), Solihull Connect, heritage and courtyard galleries and a Community Advice Hub.
Solihull’s voluntary and community sector is also now based at The Core, bringing organisations such as Age UK Solihull, Citizens Advice Solihull Borough and Relate into one central location.
The Mayor said “It was an honour to open such a fantastic facility in the heart of Solihull.
“The Core is a testament to how Solihull Council is investing in the borough’s libraries, culture and community.
“It is wonderful that our residents will be able to access so many different and important services in one place. I will certainly be a regular visitor!”
Romeo – Kenilworth Mobile Library
K Route
The Library will be available on these Fridays 2016
| January 8, 29 | February 19 | March 11 |
| April 1, 22 | May 13 | June 3, 24 |
| July 15 | August 5, 26 | September 16 |
| October 7, 28 | November 18 | December 9 |
| Stop No | Location | Stop Name | Arrive | Depart | Stay |
| 1 | Lapworth | 15 Chapel Lane | 09:15 | 09:25 | 10 |
| 2 | Lapworth | 179 Chapel Lane | 09:30 | 09:40 | 10 |
| 3 | Cheswick Green | Community Centre | 10:00 | 11:00 | 1 hour |
| 4 | Hockley Heath | Miller and Carter Restaurant | 11:15 | 12:00 | 45 |
| 5 | Kemps Green | Umberslade Hall | 13:20 | 13:40 | 20 |
| 6 | Henley | Hillfield House | 13:50 | 14:10 | 20 |
| 7 | Kenilworth | Willow Meer | 14:45 | 15:00 | 15 |
| 8 | Kenilworth | Adcock Drive | 15:00 | 15:15 | 15 |
Hockley Heath Parish Council have been asked to warn local residents that the recent good weather has brought a spike in thefts with the rural areas being targeted for car key burglary and theft of vehicle consoles in the last few days. Although the weather is very relaxing, its important that residents close and secure doors and windows at night and make sure that vehicles are locked.
Please make sure to lock windows when leaving your house and keep your car secure.
Did you know that you can report potholes, dodgy pavement repairs following work, flytipping, abandoned cars etc through a website called Fix My Street. So next time you trip over a loose manhole cover or damage your car on a large pothole, go to www.fixmystreet.com and …
It really couldn’t be simpler.
As you may be aware, Spitfire Properties have purchased Aylesbury House, Aylesbury Road, Hockley Heath which has the benefit of a draft allocation for up to 20 residential units in the emerging Warwick Local Plan.
Spitfire Properties are a design led residential developer of high quality schemes and have recently been awarded Residential Developer of the Year at the 2015 Insider Property Awards. They are a subsidiary company of IM Properties plc, one of the UK’s largest privately owned property companies with a portfolio in the UK, Europe and the USA valued in excess of £500 million. You will be aware of our proposals for 14 dwellings on land at School Road in Hockley Heath.
Spitfire have been in discussions with Warwick District Council for a number of months regarding a forthcoming planning application which would include the conversion of Aylesbury House with additional dwellings on land within the curtilage of the main house.
A a public exhibition at the King George Memorial Hall in Hockley Heath between 2.30 and 6.30pm on Wednesday 27th April will take place and local residents will be invited to view the proposals.
Solihull Council is launching a second round of Solihull Switch ‘n’ Save, a scheme aimed at finding residents cheaper gas and electricity bills.
Residents who signed up to the first round of the scheme in October were offered average savings on their energy bills of £265, leading to total savings of £65,435 for households in the borough. The highest average saving was for those who registered online and have a monthly direct debit dual-fuel paper billing. These customers saved £375 on average.
The registration period for the next round begins on 22 March 2016. All residents need to do is have a recent energy bill to hand and visit www.solihull.gov.uk/switching to register before the deadline of 22 May 2016.
A reverse auction will then be held where energy suppliers will bid for the opportunity to offer participants a cheaper deal. At no point are any personal details released to utility companies.
Residents who have registered will then receive an email or letter containing details of the new energy offer and the estimated annual savings available. It’s then up to the participant whether to switch and save. There are no obligations and it’s completely free.
This type of scheme is known as collective switching, which uses the collective bargaining power of groups of people to secure better prices from energy suppliers. Although it’s designed to save money for residents, the scheme is open to everyone in the UK to participate.
Councillor Karen Grinsell, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities and Partnerships, said: “It’s fantastic that this scheme has been successful as it really is a force for good in offering a simpler way for our residents to make sure they’re not overpaying on their energy bills.
“This scheme means you won’t need to negotiate the often confusing world of energy suppliers and tariffs; instead the Council will do the hard work for you. You’ve got nothing to lose by registering your details and you may end up having some extra cash in your pocket at the end of it.”
For more information call 0121 704 6000 or visit a Solihull Connect walk-in centre where one-to-one support in registering for the scheme is available.
Would you like some advice with that?
People in Solihull can expect to walk away with more than just their prescription when they visit their local pharmacy in the future.
Eleven pharmacies in the borough are to become new ‘Healthy Living Pharmacies’ (HLP) offering people more advice and support to lead healthier lifestyles.
Each pharmacy will have at least two accredited ‘Health Champions’ who have been trained to give customers health and wellbeing advice as well as information about services in the community that can help them to improve their health in areas such as weight management, alcohol consumption and help to quit smoking.
By shifting the focus from treatment to prevention, the aim is that people will benefit from living well for longer and the burden on other services including GPs and hospitals is decreased.
Solihull Public Health has been working closely with participating pharmacies, overseeing the project and providing the necessary staff training with the overall aim that the remainder of Solihull’s community pharmacies will also work towards gaining HLP status. Accredited pharmacies are awarded with the HLP quality mark so that they are identifiable within the community.
Councillor Ken Meeson, Chair of Solihull’s Health and Wellbeing Board said: “Pharmacies are an integral part of their communities, dispensing prescriptions and giving advice that can often save a trip to the GP or local hospital. Many are open when Doctors’ surgeries are closed and serve a range of people from those who only pop in for basic remedies to those with more long term health concerns. Trusted and easily accessible without an appointment they have great potential to improve the health of local people, including those who may not go to their GPs. They also have an important role in supporting people to adopt better lifestyles that not only help them to live longer and healthier lives but can also reduce the pressure on other over-stretched health services.”
The eleven pharmacies in Solihull currently working towards HLP status should receive their accreditations by November this year. The pharmacies are:
Lloyds Pharmacy, Shirley
Tesco Pharmacy, Shirley
Dudley Taylor, Cheswick Green
Craig Croft, Chelmsley Wood
Dalton Pharmacy, Dickens Heath
MR Pharmacy, Monkspath
Browns Pharmacy, Warwick Rd
Browns Pharmacy, Kingshurst
Boots Pharmacy, Hatchford Brook
St Marys Pharmacy, Hampton in Arden
Lloyds Pharmacy, Castle Bromwich
Carol McNidder, Pharmacy Manager at Dudley Taylor in Cheswick Green said: “We are thrilled to be taking part in this initiative which will really utilise the skills of the pharmacy team in improving and increasing the services we provide for the benefit of the health and well being of our patients.”
Healthy Living Pharmacies (HLP), initially developed in Portsmouth are now being rolled out across the country. There are currently over 1000 HLPs in England with an ambition from Public Health England that will increase substantially.