I’m getting quite frustrated over delays in announcing the new police base in Stourbridge following the unpopular closure of the station back in 2017.
The Police and Crime Commissioner promised me a police base in our town by this summer – a key campaign of mine since I was elected in 2019.
Having a base is something local people tell me again and again they want. I have written to the PCC Simon Foster who explained the delay was caused by not finding suitable accommodation.
Initially I thought it was fair enough but shortly afterwards, there was a call to ask people where the base should be and alarm bells started to ring. Surely, the PCC has an estates team for this sort of thing? But since the PCC has asked, I am happy to state in the Stourbridge News that the base needs to be in Stourbridge or Lye. Anywhere else is not central enough and will not do the job it is supposed to do. I would also like to remind the PCC this decision should be an operational one and not a political one.
I am awaiting further updates on what is going on. Of course, I will keep readers informed of any movement on this important local issue.
Many congratulations to all those across Stourbridge who received their GCSE, VTQ and A Levels this month. For those who didn’t do as well as expected, do not despair – help, advice and a huge array of options await you.
Many thanks to all our excellent teachers who worked so hard to give our young the possible education. This year’s GCSE results are the first after the pandemic disruption. And they were an excellent set of results. For example, 70.3% of entries achieve a grade 4 or above - up from 2019.
In other good news, the government announced this week there will be a new free school run by Eton College and Star Academies right on our doorstep. It is one of 15 new free schools across the country.
The school will be called Eton Star, it is for 16–19-year-olds from deprived communities in the Dudley borough area.
All who go there will benefit from an education based on the best that is on offer from both Eton and Star Academies’ state schools. This is a big boost to our local education.
Many readers will know I have been deeply concerned about the impact that Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) is having on our health. Those concerns made it to Radio 4’s Food Programme recently when they interviewed me. Please hunt it out on iPlayer or on my Facebook page and have a listen. The facts about UPF are shocking.
