The funeral of Her Majesty gave the country the final chance to say goodbye and thank you to a sovereign who gave a life-time of service to this country and the Commonwealth.
I was proud of all those who took part, particularly our magnificent armed services. The whole world watched the very best of Britain in what was a fitting tribute to a wonderful monarch. She will be missed.
I was however very proud to have sworn my allegiance to the new King in parliament last week. God Save The King.
The weather has turned significantly this week and has brought into sharp focus Putin’s weaponisation of gas prices and the impact it will have on our bills this winter.
The government acted on 8th September to announce the Energy Price Guarantee, to ensure that a typical household in Great Britain pays no more than an average of £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years. This is from 1 October 2022 and will save the typical family an extra £1,000 off their bills. Households will also start to receive £400 off their energy bills from October. This is alongside a broader set of support.
I was very pleased to hear that the government is in discussion with the West Midlands Combined Authority, to set up Investment Zones, alongside new legislation to cut restrictions to build infrastructure quicker.
On the back of this however, my inbox was pretty busy with concerns about the impact this may have on existing protections for the environment. This was from concerned residents and environmental groups. All expressed concerns about how an acceleration in infrastructure projects may impact on existing protections for the environment. To reassure, the government has always been clear that they do not intend to go back on their commitment to the environment. We have legislated through the Environment Act and will continue to improve regulations and wildlife laws in line with this vision.
This leads me on nicely to the news that two green spaces in Stourbridge have been designated as Sites of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC). Land at Clockfields in Amblecote and off Pedmore Lane have been given SLINC status, which mean they now have greater protection from future development. I would like to thank local residents, Dudley Council, and our local Amblecote councillors Paul Bradley, Pete Lee and Kamran Razzaq for helping to protect these green spaces.
As you may be aware, land off Worcester Lane in Pedmore remains in the Draft Black Country Plan. A further consultation opens this autumn and I will continue to oppose development on this precious Green Belt land.
