It might not surprise you that in my message this week I am addressing a couple of pieces of news that came out of the Prime Minister’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference on Wednesday.
The cancellation of the second stage of HS2, which would have taken the line to Manchester, is very disappointing. I made my thoughts on the matter clear in a full statement which you can access here. I do just want to reiterate a few things here though. Our residents have suffered disproportionately from the disruption caused by HS2 works, and it’s only right that they are able to see appropriate benefit from the money saved by the cancellation of phase 2.
I would like to thank and congratulate Andy Street, our West Midlands Mayor, for his hard work on behalf of our region and the pragmatic way he approached numerous negotiations this week to ensure we would see significant economic benefit in the region, regardless of any change of direction on HS2.
Whilst much of the coverage of Rishi Sunak’s speech understandably focused on HS2, it was important to hear about the measures the Government are introducing to reduce the number of people smoking in the UK. The health effect of smoking is a blight on our society, leading to higher rates of numerous diseases and taking people from their families too early, as well multiple other impacts including litter and passive smoking.
The proposals will see the legal age to buy cigarettes and tobacco products rise by one year every year, meaning that children who are currently 14 will never be able to legally buy these poisonous products, aiming to phase smoking out of our society by creating a smoke-free generation. I await further detail as I’m interested to see how this will be enacted. Whatever generation you’re part of, if you’re considering quitting smoking there’s no better time than now. It’s Stoptober at the moment, and there’s a wealth of resources available to help you quit for good. As part of their wider plan to phase out smoking in the UK, the government is doubling funding to stop smoking services, so look out for more opportunities and options to help you quit in the near future.
I was interested to note the positive reception the policy received from the SNP in Scotland and the Labour leadership in Wales. There can sometimes be a tendency in politics to reject any idea, no matter how good, if the ‘other lot’ came up with it. In this case, it’s clear that the idea is good enough that most people agree with it, but it is nonetheless pleasing to see consensus on matters that really transcend politics and improve the health of the nation.
I have mentioned the presence of RAAC in the roof of The Core Theatre in a few recent editions of this message, so I’m pleased this week to be able to bring the news that we’ve managed to make alternative arrangements for many upcoming performances, including the pantomime (Oh yes we have!) Our planned investigations of the building’s structure have indicated that more work needs to be done before it can reopen to the public. This is obviously very disappointing, as we want our own theatre in the heart of Solihull open as soon as it possibly can be. However, we are working on the basis of the recently updated assessment guidance from the Institute of Structural Engineers, with everyone’s safety the number one priority. Thanks to the hard work of the team at The Core, a number of performances will be moved to Artrix in Bromsgrove. Finding a local and suitable space that can actually accommodate our much-loved panto and other shows at such short notice is quite an achievement. There are more details on that, and what happens if you aren’t able to attend at the new venue here.
Thank you and have a good weekend,
Councillor Ian Courts