This will be my last message for a little while, the local elections are approaching and we’re about to enter the Pre-Election Period (PEP). More about that later, as I’d like to talk first about one personal highlight and one professional highlight from this week.
I visited Balsall Common Primary School earlier this week to speak to their Year 3 class as part of their Science Week. I was a little taken aback by their level of knowledge about recycling and sustainability, it’s remarkable just how switched on these seven and eight-year-olds are when it comes to the environment. I took great heart from that, knowing that this will be the generation to continue the fight against climate change and its many detrimental impacts. They’re already well on the path to taking the actions they need to protect the environment we live in, it filled me with optimism for the future. I also talked with some of the children about nature, and unprompted they brought up Katherine’s Wood in Lavender Hall Park. For those of you who aren’t aware, this woodland was planted in the park nearly two decades ago now, in memory of my daughter Katherine, who died tragically 18 years ago this week. To hear the children speak fondly of the wood was a moment of great personal pride for me, one which I’m not ashamed to say made me feel quite emotional, to know that these young children, born long since the wood was originally planted, are enjoying the wonderful trees and shrubs and wildlife there. I will treasure the knowledge that the space is loved and enjoyed, and I’d encourage you to pay it a visit and take the opportunity to experience it for yourself.
On a professional level, it was brilliant to visit the site of a new HealthTech campus at Arden Cross this week. The campus will form part of a wider ‘Innovation District’ at the heart of the £3.2bn project next to the HS2 interchange station here in Solihull. It’s in the early stages at the moment, but we’ve signed a statement of intent alongside the University of Warwick and West Midlands Mayor Andy Street to lay out how this new partnership will maximise investment at the site and deliver the kind of facilities we need to support quality jobs and research in our borough. It’s really exciting to see big ambitious projects like this taking shape, and the impact it could have on Solihull is really fantastic to think about, providing a space where the public, private and academic sectors work together to make real improvements to people’s health and lives through innovative new technologies. We’ll do all we can to make sure this and the wider development at Arden Cross is a massive success not just for Solihull but for the whole of the region and even the country.
On Monday (11 March) our brilliant Armed Forces Community Garden, which we created back in 2021 with the Royal British Legion in Hillfield Park was featured on Alan Titchmarsh’s Gardening Club on ITV1. The garden is a vital space for veterans and their families. A space for reflection, remembrance, and contemplation where they can enjoy nature in a specially designed environment that caters to their needs. Elaine Butler, from the RBL, was instrumental in making the idea a reality and she was interviewed as part of the ITV programme and explained the adaptations that had been made to facilitate use by veterans who may be struggling with their mental health in various ways. If you missed the show, you can watch it back here, the relevant section is about 12 minutes in.
The Council and the NEC group have successfully secured some legacy funding from the Commonwealth Games to host a major international Esports tournament at Resorts World Arena in April. I have to admit that Esports isn’t a world I’m overly familiar with, but it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry and growing at an incredible rate, so I’m very pleased that Solihull will be playing host to the event. You can read more about it here.
Earlier this week we celebrated Commonwealth Day by raising the Commonwealth flag over the Council House. The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Diana Holl-Allen MBE was joined by Chris Loughran DL to mark the 75th anniversary of the modern Commonwealth. You can read more about the ceremony here.
The Mayor will be hosting a charity ball on Friday 19 April at Hogarths in Dorridge, it promises to be a wonderful evening with a three-course meal and live music. All proceeds will go to Marie Curie Hospice and the British Heart Foundation, two very worthy causes indeed, so if you’re looking for a night out with a touch of real class for yourself or your business, take a look here to find out more.
Now to developments in Mell Square - Muse Places Ltd, who we are working with to develop an exciting new masterplan for the site, have been in town all week speaking to shoppers, businesses and residents to hear what they would like to see from the new Mell Square, if you’ve not had a chance to give them the benefit of your thoughts yet, they’ll be there again tomorrow (Saturday 16 March) between 9am and 1pm. You can also find out more and have your say here.
The Council are supporting Veolia’s StreetKind campaign as they aim to tackle the increase in abuse faced by their frontline waste collection staff as they work around the borough and at the Household Recycling Centre in Bickenhill. I’ve spoken before on a few occasions about just how unacceptable I think this kind of behaviour is, nobody should face abuse when they turn up to work so I’m very happy that we’re lending our support and I hope it has a real impact. You can find out more about the campaign here.
I mentioned the Pre-Election Period at the start of this message, this happens every time there’s an election for about 6 weeks before polling day. It restricts what the Council can publish in order to ensure no favour is shown to any candidate or party. It’s part of maintaining fair elections. Remember you’ll need photo ID to vote in elections again this year, and there is still time to register to vote or request a postal or proxy ballot. You can find out all the information you need on this year’s local elections on the Council website.
Thanks, have a good weekend and I shall write again (hopefully) in May.
Councillor Ian Courts