Unemployment Update May 2013
Lets start with some good news, I would like to bring your attention to the sharp fall in youth unemployment across the borough.
There are currently 1,240 young people claiming benefit for the month of April in Solihull:
· This represents 85 fewer claimants than last month, a fall of -0.5%
· There are 345 fewer claimants than 12 months ago, a fall of -2.1%
· The most significant reductions are in North Solihull where there are currently 665 claimants, 40 fewer than last month (-1.0% reduction) and 175 fewer claimants than 12 months ago (-4.3% reduction).
Yet again Solihull is ahead of the curve on tackling Youth Unemployment – Let’ see why…
Alongside operating Work Clubs that Young People can access the Economic Development and Regeneration Team (where cllr Peter Doyle is an active member) is working with a number of partners to reach out to more young people. Activity includes working with:
Outreach Support at Jobcentres – from the first week of January the team has been running weekly sessions at Chelmsley Wood and Solihull Jobcentres to increase support for 18-24 year olds, linking them to local job opportunities and apprenticeships in the borough.
Kickstart – delivery of a North Solihull Partnership Socio Economic Funded Project to provide paid work placements for young people living in North Solihull aged 16 or 17 and not in Employment, Education or Training. Kickstart is delivered by the Economic Development and Regeneration Team and works with local Small Medium Enterprises, and both the Voluntary and Public Sector to provide local jobs for young people to access. In February 7 Kickstart Jobs were secured with recruitment taking place over the coming months.
Right Here, Right Now – working with Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service to support young people looking for work by linking them to sector based taster days such as Construction, Retail & Hospitality. These events are aimed at showing young people employer expectations, they also work with recruiting employers to provide opportunities for those young people involved.
Princes Trust – offer a 12 week Team Programme delivered by Solihull College with the Employment & Skills Team then offering support at weeks 9 & 10 to those young people living in the borough, linking them to work club support and local jobs.
Solihull College – the range of support available through the Employment Team is promoted as part of the careers offer to students completing the Work-Ready Programme and those completing college courses.
Talent Match – the team is working with SUSTAiN & BVSC to help develop a Big Lottery funding application for Solihull. If successful this project will provide opportunities for 18-24 year olds that are long term unemployed (12+ months) in the borough, offering a variety of routes back into employment.
Team Shirley gives up Bank holiday to clean up streets…
Shirley South Councillor, Peter Doyle led a team of volunteers, including Julian Knight, the Parliamentary Candidate for Solihull and his fiancé Philippa, this bank holiday weekend to clear up hanging hedge-growth and pick up litter in the Highlands Road/Subway area.
Dr Alistair Jacklin, Julian Knight, cllr Peter Doyle & cllr Gary Allport
The team of volunteers, which was largely made up of the ‘50 strong’ Conservative Future Youth Group in Solihull, had given up some valuable revision time to come out and help. They were equipped with all the tools needed to carry out this clean up blitz, courtesy of Solihull Council.
Together they picked up litter along the roadside, grass verges, subway, pathways and even around the Hillfield Park pond area – a mountain of rubbish was collected.
Cllr Peter Doyle, who organised the event said; “I want to say a huge thank you to all those who gave up their bank holiday, especially the youngsters who took time out of their revision sessions to help make Shirley that little bit cleaner. The area we cleaned up looks great and I’ve already been contacted by delighted residents.”
Julian Knight added; “It was great to be involved with such an enthusiastic team of volunteers and to rid Shirley streets of litter. Projects like this really give me heart as it shows that people of all ages are willing to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in for their community.”
Conservative Future volunteers, with Julian Knight (center)
We FRIED that Kentucky Chicken!
(l-r) Cllr Gary Allport, Dr Alistair Jacklin, William Mitchell, Vicky Johnson and Cllr Peter Doyle
Cllr Peter Doyle spoke to the committee about Noise from Cars and people, about Odour from the food and oil, Litter, a lack of privacy for nearby residents. The negative effect on the local environment, more Litter, anti-social Lighting, an increase of Safety concerns having a potentially devastating effect of people’s lives and the value of their homes.
Stratford Road is already a very busy road with high volumes of cars, buses, lorries etc and with a bus stop and pedestrian crossing directly outside the site there will inevitably be queues both coming into and out of the site at peak times on both sides of the road. Children coming to and leaving school is a particular area of concern.
On the subject of Anti social behavior - is already a problem. Currently groups of “boy racers” love nothing more than to spend an evening parked in the spaces by the BP petrol station, playing loud music, shouting and sounding their horns until the small hours of the morning and racing each other along the road. This means that you can’t have your bedroom windows open. I imagine that these proposed extra 39 parking spaces will provide space for even more of them.
Just somewhere else to park, even closer to residents homes.
Cllr Doyle read from the Crime prevention design officer’s letter of objection to the council;
I am informed that until recently a nearby retail unit of a similar nature was the subject of an on-going ASB non crime plan of action due to the levels of offences that occurred. This had an adverse impact on calls for service from West Midlands Police. It also, obviously, had a negative impact on the nearby street scene and quality of life for those people frequenting the area. There are a number of other similar food outlets in the vicinity of the site that also suffer from ASB.
I am concerned that this proposal has the potential to become a similar honey-pot for offenders committing ASB. These concerns are mirrored by those from the local Neighbourhood Police Team.
Local Schools are keen to promote healthy eating and do not want a fast food outlet so close to a School. Besides Shirley Heath School who’s head teacher Mrs Gail Knight spoke to the committee, objections from Our Lady of the Wayside and Lighthall School were also submitted.
Shirley Heath school was awarded ‘Healthy School’s status in 2011, the most recent OFSTED inspection noted that ‘The pupils’ development in adopting a healthy lifestyle is outstanding for their age.
Cllr Peter Doyle pointed out to the Planning committee Policy 18 of their Local Development Plan:
In section 12.2.11 of the Solihull Draft Local Plan it states ‘Poor diet is a significant factor in obesity and associated poor health. The policy aims to provide opportunities to consume fresh food and seeks to manage the concentration of hot food takeaways, particularly around schools, which may increase the propensity to consume unhealthy food.’
Schools need protection from this authority, protection from these types of food outlets, protection from being built NEXT DOOR to our schools!
Cllr Peter Doyle closed his speech to the committee by saying
Tonight is only round 1, we can expect KFC to appeal, and this council and I are ready for round 2, the fight goes on!
Campaign team against KFC Drive Thru
Shirley Community Update April 2013
Your hard working Cllr Peter Doyle has been very busy since the last community update, campaigning to ‘Say No to KFC Drive Thru‘ in Shirley, ‘Save the Walk In Centre‘ at Solihull Hospital an attempt to get a Zebra crossing outside a Shirley Infant school along with the plans to hold a consultation on moving the existing Shirley Library service into an upgraded (brand new) setting within the Parkgate development along with many more ‘localized’ projects. This month has seen school admissions issues although I am pleased to say my two seven year old daughters will from September be attending Shirley Heath Junior school and my 3 year old son secured a place at Our Lady of the Wayside Nursery. So with my good news out of the way onto some serious updates about the wider Solihull community first and then onto Shirley itself.
Campaign team against KFC Drive Thru – (l-r) Cllr Peter Doyle, Dr Alistair Jacklin & Cllr Gary Allport
Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid are offering one-hour appointments, with a support worker, to discuss a range of issues associated with domestic violence, including: personal safety, housing/ emergency accommodation, children, finances, benefits, police and courts involvement. Unfortunately they are unable to provide childcare. Drop in take place on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00am – 4:00pm. Please contact the project to find out more:
Email: solihulladmin@bswaid.org or telephone: 07896 328 333
Solihull Talented Athlete Recognition Scheme (STARS) Opens for 2013 – Solihull Active in partnership with Parkwood Leisure is committed to identifying and developing local talent today for sporting success tomorrow. STARS aims to assist talented sportspeople to achieve their full potential by reducing the financial burden of training costs. The scheme is open for applications until Friday 26th April, apply now at www.solihullactive.co.uk
Solihull Active Club Development Evening – Save the date, Wednesday 22nd May 2013 6pm at Old Silhillian’s Rugby Football Club. More information to follow at www.solihullactive.co.uk
No Rogue Traders Here is the company that will now be hosting Solihull Trading Standards’ Shipshape List. Together we will offer a comprehensive consumer protection service, in a partnership that already incorporates Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley Trading Standards Services. No Rogue Traders Here works to rigorously vet everybody who applies to join the network, increasing consumer confidence when entering into a contract. Their consumer protection program is completely free to the consumer. It is free to register with them and free to use the services they offer; they will also provide practical support to consumers if things go wrong.
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme for Solihull was launched on Friday 12th April by Councillor Holl-Allen. This is part of a national programme operated by the Food Standards Agency. The scheme aims to make it easier for consumers to choose places with good hygiene standards when eating out or buying food. Look out for the green stickers and certificates in food business windows. Find out more about the scheme at food.gov.uk/ratings
SHIRLEY
- The Neighborhood Police Team (NPT) have held eight community beat surgeries at various locations around the area to engage with the public and listen to their concerns about crime /ASB.
- The NPT and Highways visited Fieldon Close to discuss parking concerns.
- A joint visit by the NPT and SCH was conducted in response to ongoing concerns about drugs use and ASB in Greenhill Way.
- On the 13th March, the NPT held a planning meeting with West Midlands Fire Service towards a joint partnership presentation to the community on road safety.
- The NPT provided a presentation for Year 8 pupils at Lighthall School to discuss the role of Police in the local community.
- Joint visits and a site walk around by the NPT and Sanctuary Housing took place on Pailton Road in response to ongoing ASB initiative.
- In a joint Partnership with Halfords, the NPT fitted tamper proof screws to number plates to combat the theft of them.
- Tag rugby training, run by a local PCSO, is continuing at Shirley Heath School.
- Recent arrests were made by the NPT during plain clothes operations for offences of possession of Class A controlled drugs.
- The Events Team hosted the Shirley Easter/Spring Trail on Tuesday 9th April, 11am – 1pm. Over eighty children took part in the spring trail event around Shirley Town Centre, with 12 businesses dishing out treats along the way. Shirley Library also got involved by providing a craft activity.
Forthcoming surgeries
| 17/04/13 | 1440 hrs | 1500 hrs, Costa Coffee, Stratford Road, Shirley |
| 04/05/13 | 1400 hrs | 1500 hrs, Shirley Park |
| 17/04/13 | 1200 hrs | 1300 hrs, Village Hotel, Stratford Road |
| 19/04/13 | 1800 hrs | 1900 hrs, BP Garage, Stratford Road, Shirley |
| 07/05/13 | 1800 hrs | 1900 hrs, Tesco Store, Stratford Road (Robin Hood Store) |
| 14/05/13 | 1000 hrs | 1200 hrs, at Shirley Library |
| 15/05/13 | 1200 hrs | 1300 hrs, Village Hotel, Stratford Road Shirley |
| 15/05/13 | 1400 hrs | 1500 hrs, Costa Coffee, Stratford Road Shirley |
| 16/05/13 | 1800 hrs | 1900 hrs, BP Garage, Stratford Road, Shirley |
| 01/06/13 | 1400 hrs | 1500 hrs, Shirley Park |
| 04/06/13 | 1800 hrs | 1900 hrs, Tesco Store, Stratford Road (Robin Hood Store) |
| 18/06/13 | 1000 hrs | 1200 hrs, Shirley Library |
| 19/06/13 | 1200 hrs | 1300 hrs, Village Hotel, Stratford Road |
| 21/06/13 | 1800 hrs | 1900 hrs, BP Garage, Stratford Road, Shirley |
KFC Planning Application on the Stratford Rd
KFC Planning Application on the Stratford Rd
Fast food giant KFC has put in a planning application to turn a currently un-used site (old etrinsic building) at 473 Stratford rd (in-between Shirley Heath Junior school entrance and the BP petrol garage) into a 7am-11pm Drive-Thru KFC. This has enraged many residents of Shirley especially those of Bishopton Close, Snitterfield Drive and the Stratford Road itself. Cllr Peter Doyle has been contacted by many residents and local businesses who oppose this application and the busy Cllr has asked the head of Solihull’s Planning dept. to ensure the application is brought before the planning committee and started a petition and campaign alongside fellow conservative cllr Gary Allport and local campaigner Dr Alistair Jacklin (pictured below with angry residents at the front of the proposed KFC site).
“Plans by fast food giant KFC to open a late night drive-thru in Stratford Road are deeply concerning. Apart from the noise, smell, environmental impact and extra traffic that the drive-thru will bring, there is the fact that it is to be located right next to Shirley Heath Junior School.
Shirley parents will be rightly worried that the drive-thru could have a damaging impact on kids’ eating habits. At a time when all of us in Solihull are concerned about our kids’ nutrition the location of a fast food drive thru so close to a junior school is a backwards step.”
Your Shirley Conservative team of Cllr Peter Doyle, Cllr Gary Allport and campaigner Dr Alistair Jacklin have met with many residents, met with the Head and Chair of Governors at Shilrey Heath Junior School, collected a petition, and handed out well in excess of 1000 leaflets to local residents to raise awareness to this issue. We will speak at the planning meeting against the KFC build and we will go armed with evidence that other planning authorities have previously rejected fast food outlets based on their proximity to a local school.
Even T VChef Jamie Oliver has thrown his weight behind the campaign! (http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/jamie-oliver-backs-campaign-against-1948057)
(l-r) Cllr Gary Allport, Dr Alistair Jacklin, Will Mitchell, Vicky Johnson & site author Cllr Peter Doyle
Residents objections to the planning application (2013/348);
Disruption to local school and residents
Increased traffic to an already busy road
Negative impact on environment
Residential outlook impacted due to bright signage
Children and Parents safety with school entrance on one side of site
Increased noise during unsociable hours
Unpleasant odours in a residential area (and next to a school)
Risk of encouraging school children to eat fast food
Let cllr Peter Doyle know what you think about having a Drive Thru KFC in Shirley… comment below!
Shirley Library Update
So as I see from other Councillors in Solihull quite a lot of ‘scaremongering’ has been going on… I shall name no names or throw any negativity on this subject – I will however breathe an air of truth onto the matter by presenting some FACTS.
One quick FACT which has to be cleared up is on the area covered by the telephone survey. The survey has only been carried out in Shirley West, Shirley South, Shirley East, Blythe and St Alphege wards (based on users of the existing Shirley library) and 85% of the surveys have been carried out in the three Shirley wards.
At the October 2012 Council meeting, the Cabinet Member for Community Services announced that she had asked officers to look into the business case for moving Shirley library into the Parkgate Development in order to provide Shirley residents with a modern, bright and welcoming
‘Flagship’ library as aspired to in the 2009 Library Review. The Cabinet Member asked officers to enter into discussions with Shirley Advance and report back to a future decision session.
Existing Shirley library
The existing Shirley library at Church Road was built in 1937 and is in need of modernisation.
Due to the constraints of the existing building Shirley library currently lacks:
• Sufficient space to provide enough PCs to be able to offer courses and workshops, without preventing ordinary PC access;
• A separate, well-equipped enclosure for courses/activities to take place without disruption to or from the rest of the library;
• Sufficient study spaces for students of all ages to consider visiting the library worthwhile. This is essential where people need a quiet space outside the home;
• Facilities for self-organised groups to meet and operate;
• Facilities for advisers to meet residents/clients on a 1:1 basis – whether business/CAB-type/councillors
A Potential New Flagship Library
A potential new space within the Parkgate development, although offering the same internal floorspace as the existing library, will lend itself to become a flexible space and a flagship offer through the library service working with other services and volunteers, offering a range of IT facilities, assisting people to use online services and helping people into learning and work.
The flagship library (Information Centre) would:
• Look and feel welcoming
• Have longer opening hours. It will be a meeting place essential for community cohesion and for developing active citizenship
• Offer inter-generational activities, for example baby bounce and rhyme plus baby well being clinic and welfare checks for older people
• Be a place to learn and grow, including increased provision of computers to get online – a key objective of the digital inclusion agenda
• Be a place to enjoy and engage in social activities which are essential for physical and mental well-being
• Be a place to be informed, again essential for active citizens and community engagement
*A new building would be more energy efficient
Public Consultation
Public Consultation would take place during April and May 2013 and would involve:
• Press release with details of the proposal and timescales
• Ward Councillors
• Library users
• Library staff
• Other Council Departments who might share the library (Information Centre).
• Partners of the Council (existing and future)
• Local Schools
• Voluntary and community organisations, including local churches
• Local businesses
• Shirley Town Centre Team
Financial Implications
A detailed evaluation of the running costs of the existing library compared to the costs of a new library shows an existing cost of £129,920, compared to a ‘new’ cost of £165,240, an additional cost of £35,320. The main reasons for this additional cost are an increase in business rates from a more modern building and the rent for the unit (there is no rent paid for the existing library). The Council would retain a share of the additional business rates but this has not been deducted from the £165,240 quoted above. The additional cost would be offset by charging 25% of the premises costs (running costs excluding staffing) to other services/organisations occupying the ‘Information Centre’, which amounts to £15,450 and by a saving of at least £24,000 from the reduction of at least one post through combining services. These offsets total £39,450 making the overall revenue impact self-financing.
The capital costs for fit out of a new library are estimated at £100,000 – £150,000 more than the estimated capital receipt from the sale of the existing library building. This would need to be funded from the Council’s capital programme. The value of the enhancement to the library services offered would be more than this funding from the capital programme. It should be noted that it is estimated that it would cost more to fit out the existing library to flagship status than it would to start with a new building shell.
There would be reduced repair and maintenance costs in the early years of new premises as a consequence of the new Parkgate structure and new interior fit out works!
What is a Flagship Library
1. What is a flagship library?
• A ‘centre of excellence’
• Provide a greater range of facilities and subject coverage than the Community Libraries
• Complement and support the network of local community libraries
• Showcase the library service including all new service developments
• Extended opening hours to ensure support available as well as maximum access
• Benchmark with other recognised ‘flagship’ libraries
2. Community
• Dual role;
-Serve the local community
-Serve specialist ‘communities of interest’ based on resources available
3. Resources
• Range, depth and specialism
• Enhanced book stock for adults and children, and an increased choice of books, DVD/ videos, music ( stock bands)
• Enable customers to access the main Council services and information through a range of partnerships, staff knowledge and expertise, up to date information and online resources
• Showcase new collections of stock
• Extensive range of Newspapers and magazines
• Heritage and Local Studies material
• Extended opening hours
4. Staff expertise and leadership
• Support the identification and satisfaction of customer needs at local level
• Lead and develop staff training programmes and roll it out to the Community libraries
• Lead work with others outside of their immediate Team or service area in order to share examples of good practice
• Provide effective service delivery to the customer through the development of staff expertise and knowledge that can be shared with colleagues in community libraries
5. Facilities
• The recognition of a ‘flagship’ and ‘showcase’ service brings together increased resources and facilities which creates the opportunity for further development and improvement to the range and scope of services offered.
6. ‘Flagship’ services
• Community based learning
• Extensive range of promotions and displays
• Heritage and Local Studies
Campaign to Save Solihull Walk In Centre
So I started this week a Facebook page to gather and gauge interest from the people of Solihull in their appetite to SAVE Solihull Walk In Centre.
I have used the Walk In Centre so many times I just can’t count, I’ve been in myself as a citizen, visited as a cllr, I have been in with a number of time with my children and even had cause to take my Mother there recently.
Within 12 hours the page had over 150 ‘likes’ I was overwhelmed with messages of support to my personal account and before I knew it I was starting to get support from the heavyweight local politicians (rather than just my lowly cllr status) the MP for Meriden and Julian Knight who is a candidate for MP in Solihull have been in touch to lend their support. Commenting on my Facebook Page today Julian said
“It seems that Silhillians are forever having to fight for their NHS, when clearly this is an expanding area with more and more hard working families coming to live here” Julian Knight
SAVE the Walk In
So not that long after the Maternity unit at Solihull was closed, the A&E service was shown to be missing target times in Solihull and was thought to be under “extreme pressure” and concerns were raised by the local MP, we are faced with the possible closure of our beloved Walk In Centre. There are eight centres in all facing the axe by the newly formed clinical commissioning group the official line is “As part of wider NHS reforms, clinical commissioners across Solihull and Birmingham are now reviewing urgent care services in more detail, particularly focusing around access, duplication, patient experience and equity.“
I was told by Caroline (MP) and Julian that they held an emergency summit last week to disucss the Walk In Centre, the following was released to me by their office;
The threat to the walk-in centre and how to defend it was discussed. Both stated their strong support for the centre as a vital resource for Solihull.
“The case for retaining the walk-in centre seems crystal clear. It is one of the busiest in this part of the Midlands. Silhillians really value being able to get advice and treatment without having to book a GP appointment and it takes pressure off other parts of the NHS – the Solihull hospital walk in centre has to stay,” Julian Knight said.
He added: “I have a passion for the NHS and both my mother and fiancé have spent much of their working lives in its service. It is the finest institution Britain has.”
“Having spent 2 days in A & E over Christmas with a relative, I saw how the walk-in centre takes pressure off A & E and why we must fight to keep it.” Caroline Spelman MP
The Solihull review will open up to public consultation after the 24th April.
Can I encourage you to LIKE the Facebook page and comment stories on how the Walk-In is important to you and your family / friends and the people of Solihull.
Unemployment in Solihull
Cllr Peter Doyle’s update on Unemployment for March 2013
Solihull Claimant Unemployment Headlines
In February 2013 there were 4,382 working age (16-64 years) people claiming JSA in Solihull. This equates to a claimant unemployment rate of 3.4%. Solihull’s rate remains lower than the England (3.8%), West Midlands (4.7%) and Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (5.4%).
In February the number of claimants increased by +88, the second consecutive monthly increase, although the Solihull rate remained unchanged. Despite the recent monthly increases there are -589 fewer claimants than in February 2012. The Solihull rate is now -0.5 points lower than in February 2012, while the England, West Midlands and Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP rates are -0.2, -0.2 and -0.4 points lower respectively.
So – What is being done in Solihull about making these great statistics even better I hear you thinking so I will tell you;
Local Action to Address Unemployment
To assist people seeking work the Economic Development & Regeneration Team revised Work Clubs across the borough to best prepare clients for local jobs coming through in 2012/13 such as; Shirley Parkgate Development, NEC Resorts World, Birmingham Airport, North Solihull Regeneration and Jaguar Land Rover. Work Clubs are focused on promotion of local vacancies and will work with “job ready” residents to fill those vacancies, they will also refer clients to local providers to address key work skills and prepare them in advance of opportunities coming forward.
The changes to work club services have enabled the outreach team to spend more time supporting recruitment campaigns to ensure local people benefit from these jobs. Throughout February the team supported 26 local residents going forward for training and a guaranteed interview with Morrisons in March.
During February there were further increases in jobs secured with Small Medium Enterprises and Construction jobs at the Resorts World NEC, in total 19 jobs were secured by the team with recruitment taking place locally in February & March which will enable more residents to benefit from these opportunities.
In addition the team works with partners to increase the number of local people supported into work, regular meetings with Work Programme and Prime Contractors have enabled better working arrangements between partners to provide flexible programmes that meet client & employer need. From a more local perspective a weekly “Hot Jobs” list is distributed to partner organisations and wider teams across the Council to promote local jobs and opportunities.
Solihull is represented on the Premier Foods Taskforce to support affected staff through the closure of Hovis Bakery in Kitts Green, Birmingham, in late Spring. There are approximately 70 local residents across the borough that will be affected by the closure and require pre and post redundancy support throughout 2013, the Economic Development & Regeneration Team is helping to co-ordinate local support for these residents to reduce the impact on claimant figures.
OK – so what about targeted action to assist Youth Unemployment… well;
Alongside operating Work Clubs that Young People can access the Economic Development and Regeneration Team is working with a number of partners to reach out to more young people. Activity includes working with:
Outreach Support at Jobcentres – from the first week of January the team has been running weekly sessions at Chelmsley Wood and Solihull Jobcentres to increase support for 18-24 year olds, linking them to local job opportunities and apprenticeships in the borough.
Kickstart – delivery of a North Solihull Partnership Socio Economic Funded Project to provide paid work placements for young people living in North Solihull aged 16 or 17 and not in Employment, Education or Training. Kickstart is delivered by the Economic Development and Regeneration Team and works with local Small Medium Enterprises, and both the Voluntary and Public Sector to provide local jobs for young people to access. In February 7 Kickstart Jobs were secured with recruitment taking place over the coming months.
Right Here, Right Now – working with Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service to support young people looking for work by linking them to sector based taster days such as Construction, Retail & Hospitality. These events are aimed at showing young people employer expectations, they also work with recruiting employers to provide opportunities for those young people involved.
Princes Trust – offer a 12 week Team Programme delivered by Solihull College with the Employment & Skills Team then offering support at weeks 9 & 10 to those young people living in the borough, linking them to work club support and local jobs.
Solihull College – the range of support available through the Employment Team is promoted as part of the careers offer to students completing the Work-Ready Programme and those completing college courses.
Talent Match – the team is working with SUSTAiN & BVSC to help develop a Big Lottery funding application for Solihull. If successful this project will provide opportunities for 18-24 year olds that are long term unemployed (12+ months) in the borough, offering a variety of routes back into employment.
Shirley Community Update 2013 (inc. KFC Drive-Thru section)
Cllr Peter Doyle’s community update posts in 2011 and 2012 were very popular so now it is Spring and we have seen flowers sprouting up on our beautiful Silhillian grass verges we thought it was time to start up again and let you wonderful people all know what is going on behind the scenes to keep Shirley safe and scenic.
• The NMT (Neighborhood Management Team) have been working alongside Solihull Councils head of planning and the Brownies on planning the work on the wild flower meadow for Green Lane rec. We are hoping to have it in situ by the end of May,
• The NMT have a provisional date of Friday 22nd March for planting out meadow strips along the bank of the river Cole in Nethercote Gardens. This is to be confirmed so ward members will be contacted directly.
• The NMT has seen an increase in insurance claims due to recent bad weather but less than expected.
• There was a large amount of graffiti in Shirley park on the Parkgate hoarding for the first time since the project began (it’s lasted 8 months which is quite impressive) BAM removed the graffiti immediately.
• In response to concerns raised by ward members, Highways are looking at the parking issues at Northbrook Road/Fieldon Close. The NPT (Neighborhood Policing Team) have placed warning letters on vehicles and, having spoken to McCarthy and Stone, they are now looking at other parking places.
• A number of prior consent notices have been issued by Public Protection in the last couple of weeks for works undertaken outside normal working hours e.g. Parkgate and Sainsburys at Haslucks Green Road.
• The NPT delivered ‘No Cold Callers’ signs to Elizabeth Grove.’s
• A male was arrested for theft from an employee when he used a company fuel card to fill barrels. He was charged with fraud for the £1300 of fuel stolen.
• A problematic resident from Greenhill Way, who has been causing ASB, has been evicted.
• The NPT and Fire Service are working together on a road safety initiative to target boy racers.
• The NMT and NPT tackled graffiti which has been daubed on the phone box on Solihull Road.
• The NPT and Sanctuary Housing have conducted joint visits on numerous addresses on Pailton Road to tackle ASB.
• The NPT and NMT have been working together to deal with HGVs parking on Morrisons.
• There has been a concentrated effort to deal with ongoing work around vehicle crime in Shirley West. Discussions have taken place with supermarkets to discuss target hardening, and A frame crime awareness trailer is being placed at Sainsburys this week.
• Art Animal Tracks, Thursday 4th April, 10.00-12.0 & 1.00-3.00pm at Palmer’s Rough. Make and paint plaster cast moulds of animal footprints for £1.50 per child. To book a place contact 0121 704 8000. Meet by the medical centre car park.
• Pride in your town day on Saturday 23rd March, 10.30-12.30.
Come along and support your community with painting, litter pick, cleaning up of the town centre with your Shirley Town Team. Meet at the park entrance on Stratford Road, please bring gloves and wear suitable clothing.
• Tuesday 9th April, Shirley Spring Trail, 10:30am – 12:30pm, Shirley Town Centre – starting at Co-op Travel near Marks and Spencers. Join us for a fun trail around some of the retailers in Shirley, find some treats along the way and finish in the Library with a craft activity, squash and cake. £1 per child with proceeds towards Shirley Christmas Lights.
Shirley West:
23 March, 5.00-6.00pm Nethercote Gardens (jn with Priory Road)
Shirley East:
22 March, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm NHS centre (rear car park if closed) Northbrook Road
Shirley South:
16 March, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Sainsburys Café, Sainsburys Marshall Lake,
30 March, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Cranmore Residents, o/s One Stop Shop, Cranmore Boulevard
KFC Planning Application on the Stratford Rd
Fast food giant KFC has put in a planning application to turn a currently un-used site (old etrinsic building) at 473 Stratford rd (in-between Shirley Heath Junior school entrance and the BP petrol garage) into a 7am-11pm Drive-Thru KFC. This has enraged many residents of Shirley especially those of Bishopton Close, Snitterfield Drive and the Stratford Road itself. Cllr Peter Doyle has been contacted by many residents and local businesses who oppose this application and the busy Cllr has asked the head of Solihull’s Planning dept. to ensure the application is brought before the planning committee and started a petition and campaign alongside fellow conservative cllr Gary Allport and local campaigner Dr Alistair Jacklin (pictured below with angry residents at the front of the proposed KFC site).
(l-r) Cllr Gary Allport, Dr Alistair Jacklin, William Mitchell, Vicky Johnson and Cllr Peter Doyle
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Solihull Julian Knight has now thrown his weight behind the campaign
Parliamentary Candidate for Solihull Julian Knight
“Plans by fast food giant KFC to open a late night drive-thru in Stratford Road are deeply concerning. Apart from the noise, smell, environmental impact and extra traffic that the drive-thru will bring, there is the fact that it is to be located right next to Shirley Heath Junior School.
Shirley parents will be rightly worried that the drive-thru could have a damaging impact on kids’ eating habits. At a time when all of us in Solihull are concerned about our kids’ nutrition the location of a fast food drive thru so close to a junior school is a backwards step.”
Residents objections to the planning application (2013/348);
Disruption to local school and residents
Increased traffic to an already busy road
Negative impact on environment
Residential outlook impacted due to bright signage
Children and Parents safety with school entrance on one side of site
Increased noise during unsociable hours
Unpleasant odours in a residential area (and next to a school)
Risk of encouraging school children to eat fast food
Let cllr Peter Doyle know what you think about having a Drive Thru KFC in Shirley… comment below!
Conservatives freeze Council Tax in Solihull for the 3rd year running
Shirley Cllr Peter Doyle is once again delighted to report that he voted along with his Conservative colleagues on Solihull Council to freeze Council Tax for it’s residents. Councillor Ken Meeson, Leader of the Council said: “I am pleased that despite continued reductions in government funding the council has been able to introduce further efficiencies and find sufficient savings to enable council tax to be frozen for a third year. Our priority as always is to protect essential public services and provide support to the most vulnerable members of the community. With the forthcoming changes to benefits I am also pleased that we will be increasing funding to the Citizens Advice Bureau and other agencies that will assist claimants to find their way through the system and receive their proper entitlement.
We are fortunate in Solihull to have a great team of council staff who turn our aspirations into reality and continue to ensure that the public receive value for money and maintain Solihull’s reputation for excellence.”
However, sadly, residents will notice a increase in their bills as the recently elected Labour Police & Crime Commissioner has increased the Police & Fire precepts. It is worth noting that Police Commissioners were supposed to be more accountable, and save money but sadly this hasn’t turned out to be the case.
