I started this week off with a visit to Katherine’s Wood in Balsall Common, joining volunteers from Veolia and Aldi, and staff from the Council’s Planting Our Future team, to plant 500 new saplings. We first planted Katherine’s Wood with several thousand trees 19 years ago and it has become a special place for the local community – a place for people to reflect and find peace in nature. As well as the benefits to our wellbeing, trees play a vital role in supporting biodiversity, improving air quality, and tackling climate change. Through our 'Planting our Future' campaign – and reflected in our ‘Tree City of the World’ status – we are committed as a Council to planting 250,000 trees in Solihull by 2030 and this project will contribute greatly towards that. Katherine’s Wood is of personal significance to myself, and I talk about why and more about the importance of parks and green spaces in the following video.
On the subject of trees and tackling climate change, I was very pleased to be invited to Balsall Common Primary School on Monday to talk more about our role as a Council in encouraging climate action across the borough. One thing that struck me was how keen children were to get involved. That’s important as, if we are to meet our goals to be net zero as a borough by 2041, we must all play our part, whether by using less energy at home, recycling more, or adopting more sustainable travel habits.
That leads me nicely into buses. Cabinet discussed the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) consultation on the future management of bus services in the region on Wednesday. You can read the Council’s draft response here. Fundamentally, I support any proposals to grow and improve the bus network and get more people travelling by bus, but the service is now threatened by funding problems and we need to ensure any change reflects customer need and viability. It must respect what people want and reflect our geography, connecting people across the borough, from the north to the town centre and other locations where jobs are. This theme was discussed at a recent Solihull Transport Roundtable I was invited to, organised by the Chamber of Commerce and attended by local MPs, business representatives and Council representatives to discuss what needs doing to improve transport across Solihull.
One of the transport projects we are proud to innovate on as a Council is our self-driving shuttle pilot, known as SCALE (Solihull and Coventry Automated Links Evolution), which is helping us better understand the role these vehicles might one day play within our future transport system. Major infrastructure projects are difficult and disruptive. The more we can do to promote vehicles that make better safe use of existing road networks the better. On Tuesday, I welcomed an international delegation to showcase the pioneering work here in Solihull. The visit was organised by the Department of Business and Trade and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and included delegates from USA, China, Spain, Germany, South Korea, France, Mexico, Turkey, and Slovakia. They were all very impressed with what we are doing here in Solihull. The technology has the potential to revolutionise the way we get around and offers huge economic growth for our borough. Passenger trials will open to the general public very soon so look out for these.
Continuing the theme of sustainability, I recently had the opportunity to address the Solihull Sustainability Visioning Group (SSVG) at Polestar’s showroom in Touchwood, which was one of the events taking place in Solihull for the West Midlands Business Festival. SSVG is a group for Solihull businesses that focuses on delivering sustainable growth, co-chaired by the Council and JLR. As you’ll be aware, business and sustainability are two topics very close to my heart. I encouraged the cohort to continue to be laser-focused in addressing these two significant areas, ensuring continued economic prosperity and growth whilst improving the environment for future generations. Businesses wanting to join the group can find out more here.
Talking about the economy, I recently met with the WMCA and the West Midlands Mayor to discuss how we drive forward shared objectives for economic growth, ensuring we get the most for Solihull. I won’t go into too much detail, but it is important that we take actions that make a difference, and local people and places understand how they stand to benefit. I have also been pressing the case that, yes, we need growth industries and advanced technologies. That is really important to me as the West Midlands was the birthplace of the industrial revolution. However, we must also remember the important roles of hospitality, the high street, and customer services like social care (‘the everyday economy’), and their role in creating jobs and serving our people.
On Friday I attended the inaugural West Midlands Life Sciences Week launch event, showcasing why the West Midlands is a powerhouse for medical research and healthcare advancements. The ‘week’ itself takes place in September, and I encourage professionals and businesses to find out how they can get involved by visiting this website.
Whilst I’m talking about healthcare, on Tuesday, I chaired a meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board. This week had a spotlight session on End of Life Care, recognising the importance of quality care for our residents and their families at end of life, and the need for compassion, dignity and respect. I really welcomed the work highlighted by our hospices, Adult Social Care, the community sector and the Integrated Care Board, including how to better record and communicate patients’ wishes across the system, as well as supporting the workforce to talk to our residents about advanced care plans. I was especially pleased to hear from Marie Curie on the essential hospice care they provide for our residents. I express my thanks to all partners for their support.
Some of you may also be aware that Wednesday was No Smoking Day. Whether it’s for your health, your family, or your future, making the decision to quit is one of the best choices a smoker can make. The eagle-eyed amongst you may have seen adverts for the Light Up Your Life campaign, which has been running across Solihull and Birmingham in recent weeks on billboards, buses, social media and radio. More information about the range of support available for smokers living or working in Solihull is available on the campaign website.
Thank you for reading, enjoy your weekend.
Councillor Ian Courts.