Haunted by the prospect of having nothing for children to do during the half term holiday?  Having nightmares about trying to keep the little ones occupied?  Solihull Council has got a couple of tricks up its sleeve to turn an autumn break with the family from a horror show into a happy holiday!

Firstly, the Wicked Workshop and Terror Trail will be taking place in Elmdon Park on Wednesday 26 October, 11.00am – 1.00pm.  Young visitors should wear their best Halloween costumes for a chance to win the fancy dress competition – there are petrifying prizes for the best-dressed boy and girl!

There will also be a spooky ‘terror trail’ around the park, followed by a creepy craft activity.  The event costs £1 per child, payable on the day, and the meeting place is by the car park on Tanhouse Farm Road.

Then, on Saturday 29 October, the popular Haunting Halloween event returns to Brueton Park!

Again, there will be prizes available for the best Halloween themed fancy dress, and there’ll be a scary walk around the park to meet Smelly Nelly the witch, as well as spooky stories, magic and lots of other things that go bump in the night!  The event will finish with a craft activity at the Parkridge Centre.

Walks take place at 5.30pm; 5.50pm; 6.10pm; 6.30pm and 6.50pm and cost £3 per adult and £2 per child.  Places are limited so please contact 0121 704 8000 to reserve a place and make payment in advance.

A devilishly good time is guaranteed for all!

Solihull Council has been alerted to three separate and very large incidents of fly-tipping located on land off Stonebridge Island on the A45, off Aylesbury Road in Hockley Heath and at Meriden Mile in Meriden.

The Council’s Environmental Crime team has launched an investigation and is examining the locations of the illegally dumped items, which include household waste, clothing and commercial waste, for evidence.

The Council is asking for members of the public to get in touch confidentially if they believe they may have witnessed the fly-tipping taking place or in transit, or have any information which could lead to the prosecution of those responsible.

It is not known precisely when each of the fly-tips occurred or whether they are linked although the Council was first notified of them on Wednesday 5 October.

It is anticipated that it will cost thousands of pounds to remove the fly-tipping from the three sites.

If members of the public have any information about these incidents please report it to the Council by calling 0121 704 8001, emailing connectcc@solihull.gov.uk or reporting it online via the Council’s website.

Councillor Tony Dicicco, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities and Partnerships, said:

“This is an obscene amount of waste to dump in our green spaces and the Council will not hesitate to prosecute the perpetrators of fly-tipping when we catch them. We will use evidence gained from witnesses and the covert cameras that are in operation at various locations in the borough.

“There is no excuse for anyone to fly-tip. There are plenty of legitimate ways people can dispose of their waste in the borough, including our waste and recycling centre in Bickenhill, and other paid-for collection services.”

Latest update from Councillor Sleigh Dear resident,   Firstly I would like to thank those of you who completed our recent survey regarding the powers a mayoral West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) should have.   Areas covered by the proposed powers include transport, housing, developing a low emissions strategy, High Speed 2 (HS2) growth, finance and skills and employment.   A report summarising the findings from this public consultation has been delivered to the Government, showing broad support for how a mayoral combined authority will work to deliver the first Devolution Agreement.   The Secretary of State will consider the consultation findings and then prepare a draft order to be laid before parliament.   DCLG has set the seven local authorities within the WMCA a challenging timetable to approve the draft orders, which is expected sometime in mid to late October. For Solihull it means the following timetable for discussion and decision making on the draft order:   Scrutiny – w/c 14 November (date TBC) Cabinet – 1 December Council – 6 December   The Devolution Agreement is key to fast-tracking the Council’s economic growth plans and will see an unprecedented £636 million of investment into transport infrastructure in Solihull over the coming years.  In total the 30 year £36.5 million annual devo-dividend will unlock a region-wide investment package worth £8 billion.   Party Conferences The WMCA has had a presence at both the Labour Party and Conservative Party Conferences, selling the West Midlands to politicians and the new government.   I also wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Teresa May as the Conservative Party arrived in the West Midlands for the conference.   I will be in touch with further updates in due course.   Yours sincerely    Councillor Bob Sleigh Leader of Solihull Council & Chair of the WMCA combinedauthority@solihull.gov.uk

From September 2016, there will be a new telephone number for people to call to report or get information about a power cut in their area.

The free and easy-to-remember number, 105, will put callers through to their electricity network operators – the companies responsible for repairing their local power network and restoring power.

Residents can call this number regardless of who their electricity provider is and it can be called from mobiles and most landlines in England, Scotland and Wales.

The number can also be used for any welfare concerns related to a power cut, or for concerns about the safety of over or underground electricity cables or substations.

105 has been jointly funded by electricity network operators and is the first three-digit number to be approved for use by the private sector.

Councillor Robert Hulland, Cabinet Member for Resources and Delivering Value, said: “Families and businesses in Solihull need to know where to turn if they find themselves without power, particularly during severe weather or other incidents. The 105 number will cut through the confusion and put people in touch with the information they need, when they need it.”

For more information, visit www.powercut105.com