(Image-Headteacher Sue Lacey)

Councillor Phil Bateman MBE said “I am the current Chair of Ashmore Park Nursery School Governors.”

He went onto add “Parents will Know that that school recently  had a visit from Ofsted. They came to inspect our school and the way that the Headteacher Sue Lacey  and her team of teachers and educators organise teach and protect the children, as the children set out from our Nursery School  on their long journey through the education system.

Well I can report now that the School  have only gone and done it again, with Ofsted reporting  for the fourth  time on the trot, that this school remains Outstanding!!

The results of that Ofsted Inspection  -has made me pleased to report, that the School has again – for the fourth Inspection ‘On the Trot’, received the Outstanding accolade”

The fact is that there will not be many schools here in our  City, which will deliver the sort of result, with the same management Team, for four Ofsted Inspections in a row, as our team has done here at Ashmore Park Nursery School!

Councillor Phil Bateman continued “I am so proud of what Mrs Sue Lacey and Jane Paroky , with our  Teachers and Educators, indeed the School Governors, the other staff we employ in our school, have all together achieved. They  have all  played a major role in gaining this result on behalf of the pupils and parents here in our community.

I am sure that when the school returns for the new term. That more information will be made available for parents and those interested in our Nursery Schools progress. In the meantime here is a short extract of what the Ofsted Inspector has written to the Headteacher, and is now a public document.”

“Dear Mrs Lacey Short inspection of Ashmore Park Nursery School Following my visit to the school on 12 March 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education,Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings.

The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be outstanding in February 2015. This school continues to be outstanding. The leadership team has maintained the outstanding quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and your staff are committed to giving children the best start in life. This is done by immersing your staff in researching international best practice.”

I want to urge Parents and others in our Community – Please go onto the Ofsted site (there is a link at the bottom of the page) and read the full Inspection report. It is full of great quotes relating to the way the school teaches our children, the ‘passion’ within  which the teaching  is carried out. The great way the children progress, through the curriculum.  It’s just a great  report!

It goes without saying that if you are a parent and you want the best for your children…Why not enquire with the school to get your child’s name onto the list for entry!

I do hope our community will be as proud of what has been achieved here as I am… Tell me what you think!

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/20/104279

Holding regular Advice Surgeries, Rita helps residents and electors with all types of Local Government problems, she is a good listener! Campaigning come naturally to Rita. She is a long-time trade Unionist, and it shows! Rita says “We campaign all the year round to make our Ward a better place to live and work.

With Mary and Phil Bateman all three Councillors are high profile and very visible. They have one issue always in mind, and that is how can they make life better for you – their constituents.”

Wolverhampton Homes have sent letters  to residents surrounding the garage sites at Gorse road and Sandy crescent. These sites have been identified for  possible disposal by the council.

Plus there is a similar action taking place around the Palmers Close former Garage space on the estate.

Residents are being asked for any initial thoughts and information.

I will keep you informed over any further information relating to this issue.

I understand the City Council are going to enact new Traffic Regulation Orders in the following locations.

These junctions are in the following locations – Junction of Woodend Road with Orchard Road and Jayne Close – The proposed TRO changes are: -Plan: T4/4167 – Reason: Vehicles parked in the street some of which are on or near junctions. The Traffic Regulation Order relates to  No Parking or Waiting at any time.

Plan: T4/4089-Reason: Pavement parking near pedestrian entrance. The  junctions with Prestwood Ave and Ridge Lane,  Wooton Ave and Duck House Avenue.  Wooton Ave with Springhill Road. This Traffic Order relates to –  No Waiting at Anytime.

 If you have any comments on the proposed change, please could you respond to this email with comments by 20 April 2019  to     Philip.bateman@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Councillor’s Warn on South Staffordshire Plans.

Mary and I recently attended a City of Wolverhampton Vibrant City Scrutiny Panel, where the future of Wolverhampton Housing strategy was discussed by City Councillors.

There is a big push being organised over the next decade for more housing to be constructed across the nation. Here is what was being discussed on the 11^th April 2019.

The Government has set a housing target nationally of 300,000 new homes per year by 2026.

The Government have set out where their priority locations are for new homes.

As part of the targets it is anticipated that 50,000 new houses will be needed across the West Midlands conurbation. The seven district and City Councils, have set themselves in what is the Black Country Core Strategy, a further target of 63,000 additional homes to be delivered over the period 2006-26 to accommodate the conurbations growing population.

Currently the City Council own around 22,000 homes through its Wolverhampton Homes company.

The target for new dwellings in Wolverhampton is set at 13,400 homes or 640 homes each year. 5640 homes have been built up until 2018. This is 16% above the target

The Black Country strategy aims to provide a minimum 550 new affordable homes each year.

Much of Wolverhampton commitment for new homes will be based in three action areas.  Bilston corridor, Stafford Road area action plan, and Wolverhampton City Centre action planning area.

There are currently smaller sites that are being developed in Wednesfield the newly announced Marches site in Lakefield Road (246 dwellings) and the Danesmore site 52 homes now almost completed in Ashmore Park.

South Staffordshire District Council also has a housing plan. That is currently being put together and it will I am informed be ready for consultation soon. It is this plan that holds the most contentious issues for Wednesfield.

Its known already that people from Wolverhampton have been moving towards South Staffordshire for a number of years statistics inform us that between 2013-2017 6,240 people moved from our city to South Staffordshire that is 12% of all moves. With 4,460 making the move in the opposite direction.

It was against this backdrop that both Mary and I warned the Scrutiny Board to be aware of our growing concern about developers eyeing the current green belt and agricultural land that runs the boundary between Essington and Wednesfield.

We warned that the local residents in Wednesfield North were very strongly against the loss of what they see as the Wednesfield and Wolverhampton North Easts ‘Green Lungs’.

Proposals being mooted by developers suggest that they want to build 2,500 homes within South Staffordshire but on land that is used and enjoyed by Wolverhampton and Wednesfield residents for leisure amenity, wildlife and heritage walks.

This land is fronted by Linthouse Lane and Kitchen Lane and Woodend Road.

Mary and I warned our colleagues on the Scrutiny Panel on the 11^th April 2019 that this type of action would be very much withstood by the three Wednesfield North Councillors. We told the Panel that we are waiting to see what the South Staffordshire plans actually says.

We informed the panel that whilst we were in favour of using ‘brownfield’ site for building new homes. We were very much against the loss of Green Belt amenity in an area like Wednesfield which already suffers from below average green space. We made it very clear that we felt that it was dangerous discussing the issues, when a major part of the plans going forward was not part of the briefing. Those plans were the South Staffordshire District plan, which had not yet been published.

We warned that we had widespread public support in Wednesfield for articulating the concerns that were being ventilated now by us.

There was a real concern that the Village of Essington would be moving quickly into and towards Wednesfield, if 2,500 homes are allowed to be constructed on the site close to Kitchen Lane and Linthouse Lane in Wednesfield.

I also warned the Panel that it was dangerous to bring a Housing and Strategy briefing note and presentation, to the Panel. When the important South Staffordshire Preferred Option Consultation paper was not amongst the briefing notes for Panel consideration. Mary and I spoke powerfully with regards to this issue. We requested Wolverhampton’s officers go back and amend proposals reflecting the statement and review the comments that your Wednesfield North Councillors made.”

South Staffordshire will use the results of their study, and other evidence they have commissioned separately, to select preferred sites for their next stage of consultation.

The next stage is the “Preferred Options Consultation”, which was programmed for March/April 2020.