New dementia care home proposed for Shirley

Solihull Council is inviting people to a public engagement event where plans will be presented for a new affordable care home for older people with dementia on land at Tanworth Lane in Shirley.

The proposed care home located adjacent to a medical centre would provide affordable beds on a long term sustainable basis to meet the needs of the increasing number of older people in the borough.

The drop-in event will take place on Tuesday 21 February between 3pm and 7pm at Sans Souci, Tanworth Lane, Shirley, B90 4DD. People will have the opportunity to view drawings of the home and comment on plans before a planning application is submitted.

As the population of older people in the borough grows, so too does the demand for high quality care and support services. The proposed new home is in response to the consistent challenge this causes the Council when trying to find affordable care within the borough.

Councillor Karen Grinsell, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “As a Council, our aim is to care for people suffering with dementia with dignity and respect.

“That is why we are proposing this new care home. Not only will it be purpose built to meet the specific needs of people with dementia but it will also help us to cater for the growing number of older people in our borough.

“Crucially, this will mean that more people will be able to receive care in the borough as opposed to moving further afield and away from loved ones.”

For people that cannot attend the event, physical copies of the drawings will be available to view at Shirley Library from 22 to 24 February. Comments should be emailed to: commissioningteam@solihull.gov.uk by 24 February.

Local burglars plead guilty

In light of the recent spike in burglaries, Solihull Police are pleased to inform Solihull residents that 3 males pleaded guilty to burglary in court today.  These offences were daytime break-ins across the Rural/ Solihull Area.

Sentencing for 2 of the men was 2 years 4 months. The 3rd man received a sentence of 2 years 7 months.    The police continue to carry out active burglary patrols across Solihull if you see any suspicious activity call the Police on 101.

For advice on how to secure your home pleas click on the link below
http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/advice-centre/crime-reduction/home-security/

It would be great if you could also sign up to the WM Now alert system, which will email you alerts on spikes in crime, local updates on local issues/ crime prevention from various partner agencies i.e. Fire, Council, Action Fraud ect. You can personalise who you get alerts from, once you have set yourself up as a member.

Neighbourhood Plan update – 16th January 2017

16th January 2017

What a fantastic turn out!  It was brilliant to see so many local people come along to the public consultation.  We had a steady turn out with nearly 200 people sign in between 1pm and 6pm.  Residents were able to speak with Waterloo Homes about the affordable housing development on the Stratford Road which is due to on site in March 2017.  Spitfire were there to talk about Aylesbury House development and the opportunities that holds.  Solihull Council arrived at 3.30pm, hot foot from their Local Plan consulation in Knowle and answered many of your questions about housing development in the parish.  Parish Councillors and representatives from the Residents Association and the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group were  there to talk through your concerns and hopes for the village.

The steering group are now going to meet to assimilate all of your comments and ideas and do two things: with HHPC, create an informed response to SMBC draft Local Plan; finalise the questionaire which will then be sent to ALL parish residents for the Neighbourhood Plan.

Once again, thank you to all for your thoughts, vierws and comments.

To see the Minutes of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group meetings – PLEASE CLICK HERE

To see all the background and associated documents for the Neighbourhood Plan – PLEASE CLICK HERE

To read all the previous news updates for the Neighbourhood Plan – PLEASE CLICK HERE

We are pleased to confirm that all the work for the Neighbourhood Plan, its promotion, the development of the questionnaires and assesment of the questionnaires, is being funded by a grant from central government and not from the local council tax / precept.

MAN vs FAT – A Football Weightloss Programme comes to Solihull

MAN v FAT Football is coming to Lode Heath

The popular MAN v FAT Football scheme which launched in Solihull in January last year is returning for a new free league at Lode Heath School, starting on January 31st.

Local men who want to tackle their weight issues now have the chance to join this incredibly successful weight loss league. With 95% of players losing weight and some players losing up to 70lbs during the 14 week league, it’s no wonder that the Football Association have officially endorsed the leagues.

Set up by Andrew Shanahan who himself lost five stone and was fed-up with weight loss classes just for women, MAN v FAT has been brought to the area by Solihull Council and combines football with 24/7 online and offline support. The leagues are different from the traditional football leagues, which many overweight and obese men find off-putting, because the weigh-in before each game contributes to the league position just as much as the score on the pitch.

As well as national press coverage and appearances on Sky Sports and BBC’s The One Show, last year also saw MAN v FAT Football receive the ultimate accolade: the first official endorsement that the Football Association have ever given to a weight loss company.

Andy Dyke, National Participation Manager of Recreational Football at the Football Association said, “Football doesn’t begin and end with the professional game, there are different levels and styles of football played throughout the UK. MAN v FAT Football is a brilliant initiative for anyone who wants to address their weight and start working their way back into playing football. The results of the leagues are extremely impressive and we are excited to see the impact this could have on men’s health across the country and around the world. You might be thinking that your footballing days are behind you, but MAN v FAT Football is a great bridge back into the national game. The FA are happy to back the scheme and suggest that players visit www.manvfat.com/football to get started.”

MAN v FAT Football launches at Lode Heath School from the 31st January and runs every Tuesday from 7.30-9.30pm for the next 14 weeks. It is completely free for Solihull residents and workers to register and the cost of games is also covered by Solihull Council. The only thing you have to lose in joining up is weight.

Players can join up at www.manvfat.com/football and they can get more information by calling 0845 163 0042 or emailing football@manvfat.com

For MAN v Fat media enquiries contact Andrew Shanahan on 07792017766.

Neighbourhood Plan update – 10th January 2017

10th January 2017

We are putting the final touches to the public consultation event which will be held:

Saturday 14th January 2017 from 1pm – 6pm in the hall at Hockley Heath Academy, School Road.

Please come along any time during the afternoon.  Drop in for a coffee and a chat.  There will be an opportunity to talk to parish councillors and representatives from the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group  about the future of Hockley Heath parish.    There will be tables in the hall showing plans of the whole parish and sites which have been proposed for development by local land owners and developers.

You can make your views known on matters such as housing, facilities for the youth and the elderly,  health care and transport among other things.  If you dont understand about the Neighbourhood Plan and how it links to Solihulls Local Plan, come and find out.  These plans will be used to direct development in our parish – Do you have a view?

We are pleased to confirm that all the work for the Neighbourhood Plan, its promotion, the development of the questionnaires and assesment of the questionnaires, is being funded by a grant from central government and not from the local council tax / precept.

Draft Local Plan Review Consultation – new drop in session.

A new drop in session where the Draft Local Plan can be discussed with Council officers has been scheduled for Monday 23 January, 10am-4pm in the café at Asda Shirley (Parkgate).

 

A reminder that we want to hear from you so that a final plan will be effective in guiding the future development of the borough.

 

We are asking all residents, businesses, developers and the many other stakeholders to take a look at the Draft Local Plan Review here and submit comments via the online portal.

 

This Draft Local Plan will eventually replace the current Local Plan (December 2013), which the Council decided to review following the legal challenge to the housing requirement in the current Plan.

 

It is important for Solihull’s future that the borough has a plan in place that will support the creation of new jobs and homes in a planned and sustainable manner, while retaining the essential ‘Urbs in Rure’ character of the area.

 

You can discuss the plan in person with Council officers working on the Review at the following locations during January:

 

Balsall Common Library – Saturday 7 January, 11am-3pm

Knowle Library – Saturday 14 January, 11am-3pm

Asda Shirley, Parkgate (in the café upstairs) – Monday 23 January, 10am-4pm