I am extremely honoured to be the new Leader of Solihull Council. As anyone who knows me will tell you, I love our borough and I’m really proud to call it home. I’ve lived and worked here for a long time now and I have spent the last 13 years as a councillor for Shirley East working hard to improve the lives of everyone in Solihull.
Six years ago, I was the first woman to become Deputy Leader. Now, I am incredibly proud to be the first woman to lead this Council.
I want to thank Councillor Courts for his strong leadership during his time in office. He has guided the Council skilfully through many challenges and I know I’m not alone in being grateful to him for the job he has done. I have, of course, worked alongside him as Deputy Leader throughout this time and been responsible at both Adult Social Care & Health and Children & Education. Whilst I am sure there will be new things to learn, I am well-equipped with my past years of experience both in the Council and business to hit the ground running.
I am very pleased that Councillor Courts accepted my invitation to take on the position of Deputy Leader. As I take on this role you will see new ideas from me, but you will also see stability, continuity, and the strong leadership that has been the proud hallmark of this Council for many years now.
I will be carrying on in my role as Lead Member for Children & Education. It’s no secret that this has been a top priority for the Council, and it certainly has been for me personally. I take the responsibility to look after our youngest and sometimes most vulnerable citizens incredibly seriously. I am proud of the hard work that has already been done on the improvement journey, but I don’t think for a second that we can take it easy now. We still have a full Ofsted inspection to come later this year, and even after that we will not let up in driving to improve outcomes for children and young people in Solihull.
This week, we have announced our Education Strategic Plan, which brings lots of projects under one umbrella. Mainly focusing on SEND and alternative provision, it is designed to deliver more focused and targeted support, in a more effective way, across the service. There will be a lot more to say about this in the coming months and even years, but you can read an overview of it here.
Our close links with business are very important to me, and I want to see them deepen even further. Driving economic growth means better jobs for people close to where they live, it means new investment coming into Solihull and innovation taking place here. We work closely with West Midlands Combined Authority and other local councils to ensure that the whole of the region is driving growth together. We have a proud history of industry here, and our manufacturing is still strong, with big growth in areas like precision engineering and green technology. This should keep our local economy strong for many years to come, and as Leader I will be doing all I can to support that.
Our communities are strong here in Solihull. I know there is a real sense of togetherness amongst the residents of Shirley, where I am a ward councillor, but I also know that is equally true all over the borough. I have spent a huge amount of time at events, meeting people and community groups and visiting people and businesses in every corner of Solihull, so I know it isn’t unique to any one place. That feeling of community is just as strong in Chelmsley Wood, Meriden, Olton, Dickens Heath, Fordbridge, and every other village, town, and urban centre we have.
I want to engage those communities as Leader and tighten the bond between the Council and the people that we serve. I know that the best way to do this is by delivering good services for residents and working hard to improve their lives. Whether that means through supporting them through things like Family Hubs, improving education and training opportunities for young people, or protecting our green belt. I have always prided myself on listening to people and hearing what their priorities are. As Leader I will keep doing just that.
Yesterday, I chaired Cabinet for the first time in my new role, it has been straight down to business and I will not let up. I have a good, strong team around me in Cabinet, with a vast amount of experience in local government and business. Together we will do all we can, in the best interests of our residents of Solihull.
I now have a big job to do, and I look forward to working with my fellow Councillors to do our best for Solihull.
Thank you for reading.
Councillor Karen Grinsell. Leader of Solihull Council