Posted Monday, January 14, 2008
Sea Scouts Checkout
Knowle Sea Scouts completed a record 29 hours bag packing at Sainsbury's in Shirley during the week before Christmas, the fourth year running that Sainsbury's have enlisted the help of the Sea Scouts during their busiest period.  More than 80 Sea Scouts were on hand to help customers at the checkouts and make Christmas shopping that little bit easier.
The Sea Scouts raised £5,414 in donations which was a fantastic end to 2007: the Centenary of Scouting.  The money will be used to buy new boats and equipment to allow more of Solihull's young people to get involved, and to support a team of Sea Scouts undertaking a wilderness expedition for their Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award in Canada this summer.
Store Manager Mark Hankin said "Sainsbury's is proud to have supported the Scout Association throughout their Centenary year and its great to have worked with Knowle Sea Scouts again this Christmas and to help them provide more activities for local young people".
To find out more, visit www.knowleseascouts.org.uk.

Posted Monday, May 21, 2007
Timetable improvements to Solihull Bus Service
With effect from Saturday 9th June, additional journeys will be introduced on Saturdays on local bus service 197 which runs between Solihull Town Centre and Balsall Common, via Knowle, Chadwick End, Fen End and Temple Balsall. The additional journeys will operate at 1535 from Balsall Common to Solihull, returning from Solihull at 1645.
Geoff Cross, managing director of the Birmingham based operator, Central Buses, said ‘We have introduced these additional journeys on Saturdays due to passenger requests. Service 197 provides a vital link through various village’s and these additional journeys will help meet the needs of our customers’ Central Buses Ltd took over the operation of Service 197 from Clarabells Coaches in October 2006.

Posted Thursday, February 8, 2007
Proposed 'pay as you go' road tax
There is only one month left to register your objection to the 'Pay as you go' road tax.
Once you've given your details (you don't have to give your full address, just house number and postcode will do), they will send you an email with a link in it. Once you click on that link, you'll have signed the petition.
Democracy in action?  The government's proposal to introduce road pricing will mean you having to purchase a tracking device for your car and paying a monthly bill to  use it. The tracking device will cost about £200 and in a recent study by the BBC, the lowest monthly bill was £28 for a rural florist and £194 for  a delivery driver. A non working mother who used the car to take the kids to school paid £86 in one month. On top of this massive increase in tax, you will be tracked. Somebody will know where you are at all times. They will also know how fast you have been going, so even if you accidentally creep over a speed limit, in time you can probably expect a Notice of Intended Prosecution with your monthly bill. If your readers care about our freedom and stopping the constant bashing of the car driver, please sign the petition on No 10's new website (link below) and pass this on to as many people as possible.   http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/

Source Ashok Singha
Regular visitor to Solihull Online

Posted Monday, September 25, 2006
Shirley Park set for £500,000 facelift
Shirley Park is set to receive a half a million pounds to improve its facilities.

Following the signing of a legal agreement (106 agreement), developer Shirley Advance has agreed to fund £250,000, with the rest being matched by the Council.

The park will undergo a total facelift, with local people being asked over the next few weeks what they would like to see provided for the money.

Improvements could include:
* Upgrade play equipment
* Replace avenue of commemorative trees
* Improve nature conservation
* Replacing oak circle with mature trees
* Uplifting and replanting oak circle
* Provision of cycle route
* Security - lighting/CCTV
* Improvements to entrances
* Landscape features & formal gardens
* Street furniture
* Formalised events area
* Family activity area
* Refurbishment of tennis courts/bowling green
* Youth facilities/climbing wall/trim trails

The announcement was made last night at Solihull Council’s Cabinet (21 September) along with the fact that the signing of the agreement means that full planning permission has now been granted.

Also agreed at Cabinet was the disposal of land at the rear of Haslucks Green Road and Shirley Park, required for the Heart of Shirley scheme. The land comprises of two parcels of parkland with a combined area of 0.62 hectares. Shirley Park totals 13.4 hectares. The other piece of land is informal open space behind 46-63 Haslucks Green Road.
Cabinet members listened to objections to the disposal, and the response to those objections, and after consideration decided that the disposal of land should go ahead.

Cllr Ted Richards, Leader of Solihull Council, said: “The decisions made tonight signal the start of something extremely special for the people of Shirley. They are on their way to having a first class, vibrant town centre, accompanied by a park with superb new facilities that everyone can enjoy. Yes, we have had objections to the scheme, and we have responded accordingly. A good fight has been fought and there has been strong debate from all sides. We now have to go forward and I hope that everyone will now work together to achieve this goal to breathe life back into the heart of Shirley.”

Source Solihull Council

Posted Monday, July 17, 2006
monthly farmer's markets suspended
The Shirley Town Centre Partnership are saddened to announce that they have reluctantly taken the decision to suspend the monthly Farmers’ Markets in Shirley.

The Markets, which have taken place on the third Thursday of the month since early 2002, have been a regular and popular monthly feature at the entrance to Shirley Park although, despite the best efforts of the Partnership, have seen trade slip to crisis levels in recent months.

Of the 20 traders who stood at the opening market, those attending recent Shirley events had dropped as low as 6 which, as well as not providing consumers with a sufficient choice of produce, also meant that the market was no longer financially viable.

Although this means that the final market has taken place in June, the Partnership have not ruled out the events being re-introduced to Shirley at some point in the future.

The Town Centre Partnership would like to thank those loyal customers who regularly attended the market and would point out that many of the stalls featured at the Shirley market trade in Solihull High Street on the first Friday of the month.

Jim Ferry, Chairman of the Shirley Town Centre Partnership, said:

“ Whilst we are sad to make this announcement, our consistent message in promoting the market in recent years has been to ‘use it or lose it’ and, without sufficient trade being generated, the market has unfortunately been forced out of business. We are however hopeful of resurrecting the event at some point in the future.“

Source Shirley Towntalk

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