I have just announced at Annual Council that, after six years in the role, I am stepping down as Leader of Solihull Council. Decisions like this always require much heart-searching, but it is my intention to retain my active involvement (at least) in the business, economic and regional agendas which are so vital for the welfare of the borough and our residents. Solihull is a successful borough, but one part of success is ensuring strong teamwork and succession. This is the right time to ensure that strength continues.
I am pleased to be succeeded by Councillor Karen Grinsell, with whom I have worked for so many years. She will be the first female leader of Solihull Council. She will be supported by a highly capable Cabinet team. I wish her every success in our continuing journey to make Solihull a borough of opportunity, success and ambition. She has plenty of experience as Deputy Leader of the Council and is a Silhillian to her core. She will bring new energy and new ideas to the role. I will be taking on her previous role as Deputy Leader, which will ensure stability and continuity as we move forwards in the wide agenda that the Council has before it.
It has, truly, been a great honour to lead this Council and work in that role on behalf of and for the people of Solihull.
It is fair to say that I have not spent six quiet years keeping a hand on the tiller in calm seas. Covid broke out not all that long after I became Leader (the two events were unconnected); it presented us with a challenge on a scale we had not seen as a nation since World War 2. I am proud of the way Solihull Borough met that challenge. We adjusted to working in different ways, whilst ensuring we could provide the leadership on a local scale to support our NHS, our residents and communities, as well as business, during that uniquely difficult period.
As we emerged from the pandemic, we had the honour of hosting events for the Commonwealth Games in 2022 at the NEC. There was a real sense of relief that the games were able to go ahead, with preparations understandably disrupted over the previous years; however, go ahead they did, and in some style. They were an incredible celebration of the storied history and huge promise of the whole of the West Midlands.
A few days before, on July 26 2022, Solihull hosted a leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay. The day brought our borough together in spectacular fashion, with over 1500 people turning out to enjoy events in Chelmsley Wood, Castle Bromwich, Shirley, Hampton-in-Arden, Meriden, Balsall Common and nearly every other settlement across our area. Culminating with The Band of The Grenadier Guards playing the baton into Jubilee Gardens in Solihull under the setting sun it was hard not to feel a little emotional. Pride swelled at the sense of community, the togetherness, the joy and the beauty and diversity of the borough.
The last six years have indeed been memorable in too many ways. We have had energy and cost of living crises; wars and migration; a very changing climate, all having local effects; ongoing political turmoil; awful children’s tragedies. We have tackled a vital, and sadly overdue, improvement journey on our Children’s Services and have listened with growing pride in the team as evidence of success on this unfurls. Much of my time as Leader did see that one key priority for the Council take centre-stage. Whilst we have never forgotten or neglected our many other responsibilities, the improvement of our Children’s Services has been of the utmost importance in the last few years, and we will press on with the journey.
Engaging with our communities and our businesses has been an incredibly rewarding part of being Leader. I have made many connections and heard many fascinating stories of success from the smallest shops to the largest manufacturers here in Solihull. We make things here, we invent things here, we innovate and drive forward and strive here. We are a borough that does business locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. We have many important projects in hand.
It remains for me to thank my group and all councillor colleagues, and of course Councillor Karen Grinsell for her invaluable support as deputy. I also want to thank the staff of Solihull Council for their hard work. They make things a reality and we are fortunate to have so many excellent officers here. They have seen budgets being cut for a long time now and continue to do their utmost to deliver services efficiently and effectively.
For the final time in this format, thank you for reading.
Councillor Ian Courts