I have cribbed most of this from the Dept of Transport webpage. Network Rail (NR) is proposing to close the railway station at Bordesley, Birmingham, on or after 4 June 2029. NR has developed plans to increase the capacity and connectivity of the Midlands Regional Rail network by providing more services into Birmingham’s Moor Street and … More Bordesley railway station closure
I wish to update you regarding action I promised following the nasty collisions that took place last year. At my cabinet decision session on Tuesday evening I agreed officers’ recommendations for road safety measures on Church Hill Road. It was recommended that both pedestrian crossings on the road should be raised, creating a tabletop to … More Road safety measures on Church Hill Road
This is taken from Dept. of Transport website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport If you can drive a tank in the Army, then why not a train? Lowering the train driver age from 20 to 18 will give younger people the chance to build rewarding careers in the UK railway industry. School leavers will soon be able to become … More All Change! – Doors opened for school leavers to become train drivers
I thought it may help to explain how we maintain our highways in the borough. Each year a report comes to my decision session as Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure. This years report is at my decision session next Tuesday, 10 February and can be found here (Highways Asset Management and Service Priorities 2026/27 … More HIGHWAYS MAINTENANCE IN SOLIHULL
A motion was put to Solihull Council yesterday evening about rail services in Solihull. Whilst welcoming the motion I felt it did not reflect the needs for the whole of the borough, which has train lines running through it. I therefore proposed an amendment, as shown below, and am pleased to report it received an … More Restoring Rail Transport Frequency in Solihull
The go-ahead for the redevelopment of Solihull’s town centre is set for approval at its planning committee meeting on Friday 6 February. It is important to recognise at the outset this has only been achieved through the decision we made to purchase Mell Square a few years ago. Different owners in the past 15 years … More SOLIHULL TOWN CENTRE REDEVELOPMENT
‘Solihull has a business base where there is high value growth potential widely present in the local business base.’ Solihull has been recognised as one of the UK’s top ten locations for high‑growth business potential, according to new data released today by Growth Flag. The findings highlight the borough’s continued emergence as a leading centre … More Solihull named one of the UK’s strongest business growth hotspots
The government has announced it is consulting on its road safety strategy. The link to the Dept of Transport webpage that highlights potential new changes is shown here: Proposed changes to penalties for motoring offences – GOV.UK This is the first government road safety strategy in over a decade and plans to reduce deaths and serious … More GOVERNMENT – ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY
Two developers were recently given permission for the development of some 1200 houses on Dog Kennel Lane, Solihull, This is within Blythe ward. I have provided links to the planning application below (also my original 2019 petition objecting to the site being in the councils local plan!) The site navigated the Planning Inspectors ‘Examination in … More Section 106 Funding from Developments
The government has now responded to the 2020 consultation and this can be read via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/managing-pavement-parking Essentially this is what the all-party Local Government Authority has called for and I am grateful the government has proceeded with its recommendations. I wrote about the original consultation in 2020 and this can be found here: … More PAVEMENT/VERGE PARKING – Government Responds.
Ken Hawkins 