Wishing all our friends and relatives a Merry Christmas!
Author Archives: Phil Bateman
Always Issues Facing Our Ward of Wednesfield North.
There is never a dull moment in Wednesfield North.
As we approach the end of this working week. Plus, the impending year end. Let me inform you of the issues and actions your Wednesfield North Councillors have taken.
There is a Planning application published, reference 24/00974/FUL It’s a proposal for a two storey side extension ,single storey rear, and single storey front extension. The address is 138 Springhill Road Wolverhampton.
This is a new planning application for this particular site. The neighbours consultation ends in a few days time on the 24th December 2024. Any comments or interest in the planning application needs to be made before
this date.
This week your Councillors have dealt with an allegation of ‘sub-letting’ of a dwelling here in Wednesfield North. We have pressed for the removal of fly tip in conjunction with this case. The Internal Fraud team of The City Council are working in conjunction with Wolverhampton Homes
And our legal team also.
There is a proposal about to be made public for a Road Safety Scheme for Linthouse Lane. The City Council is shortly going to send correspondence to local neighbours, with a set of proposals for safety in the lane and to reduce speeds travelling.
Christmas is Fast Approaching -#ShopLocal
Christmas is fast approaching. Let not forget the local shops and businesses when out buying your Christmas presents .
They are with us all the year around, and they are finding it a little difficult in the economy at the moment.
Remember #ShopLocal and lets ensure they are still with us trading into next years as well.!
John Prescot- A Titan of the Labour Party!
Well, I woke this morning to the news of Lord John Prescot passing away. It’s made me sit and just remember.
Today will be a very sad day for me and Mary, as it will be for his wife Pauline, and family, and the hundreds, and hundreds of Labour Party members, who will also be mourning his passing today.
John was a ‘titan’ of the Labour Party, he was an energetic political campaigner. He was a fantastic bloke, and never ever forgot his roots.
Today, I have a head full of memories, jangling about.
John was the longest serving Deputy Prime Minister, this Country has ever had.
John was a good friend, he was a longstanding friend, that I have known for decades. A guy that I respected, had fun with, and very much enjoyed his company. I campaigned with him and campaigned for him.
He invited me to join with him in 1992, in London and for a memorable few weeks I worked with him and Peter Snape in Westminster.
John visited Wednesfield North, to speak, to ‘gee up’ the local Labour Party in the early 80’s, He spoke in the Corpus Christi Club, on Ashmore Park. He went down a treat!
Both Mary and I have had memorable nights out together, with his good friend, Peter Snape former MP for West Bromwich East.
John Prescot will be missed in our Labour Party, and his legacy will long be remembered by historians. I will remember the intensity JP had for politics, the Labour Party. The friendly times we had together. The long talks about public transport, the enthusiasm he had for Regional Government, and the importance he placed on Local Authorities.
John Prescot we will miss you, but both Mary and I will never forget you.
Rest in Peace, you have made more than a contribution to improving our great Country.
Scrutiny Board Calls for Flood Information
Scrutiny Flooding Prevention – Task and Finish Group: Community Session
The Scrutiny Board is to hold a community session to hear first hand about the problems residents face when flooding occurs across the City of Wolverhampton.
The purpose of the meeting is to Invite those residents to a community session to hear firsthand from them about their experiences with flooding in Wolverhampton, so that these ‘lived experiences’ can form part of the final report being prepared for Scrutiny Board.
The session will take place on Thursday 24 October, beginning at 11am and concluding by 1pm -Venue in Committee Room 4, 3rd Floor, Civic Centre.
Places at the meeting are on a first come, first service basis in line with H&S requirements. One residents per occupancy will have 7 minutes to ask questions relating to their property.
If you would like further information contact your own Ward Councillors. Or contact via email at this address – Scrutiny@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Congratulations! Gold Again Wednesfield in Bloom 2024
What glorious news yesterday, as the Wednesfield in Bloom volunteers won two more Awards for their hard work here in our Village of Wednesfield & Ashmore Park.
They won (One Gold again- the sixth Gold award on the trot!) and another discretionary award) yesterday from the Heart of England in Bloom organisation for their contribution in making Wednesfield Blooming great again!
All of this gardening work is undertaken by volunteers, and all of them to a person, gives up much of their time to enable our Wednesfield to look colourful and Vibrant!
The Wednesfield North Councillors Mary Bateman Rita Potter and Phil Bateman once again pays tribute to them, for the extraordinary work they undertake for our community!
We Done it! Another Record Attendance at Wednesfield Canal Festival 2024.
I am delighted to be informed that on the Wednesfield Canal Festivals 10th Anniversary, held this August 2024, at the Bentley Bridge Leisure Park, on our wonderful 230 year old Wyrley & Essington Canal was yet another success this Summer.
Wednesfield Canal Festival 2024 enjoyed a Saturday attendance of 5,018 and a Sunday Attendance of 5,740 giving an overall total 10,758 people attending. Which measured against the statistics for 2023 was an increase just short of 1%. Mark Welsby from Bentley Bridge reminded me that it was “Not a huge increase, but also not a decline in visitors, considering the rain first thing on the Saturday”.
Councillor Phil Bateman said today – “What a great success the event has become. It’s the largest volunteer led event I suspect in the City of Wolverhampton. I offer my personal gratitude to Hands on Wednesfield who have shaped the Wednesfield Canal Festival event now for a number of years.
Hands on Wednesfield, have been instrumental in its great success, and created a dynamic partnership this year with Bentley Bridge Leisure Park, a working partnership together with independent energy supplier Tomato Energy, and the Greene King Public House – The Nickelodeon.
You know – We also added another important ingredient. You couldn’t have a Canal Festival without a canal! The close working partnership with the Canal & River Trust, over these last ten years has been a feature, and we have shone a light on over 230 years of canal history and heritage, as well as creating a Local Nature Reserve on the Wyrley & Essington canal serving Wolverhampton and Wednesfield and running through to our city boundaries. Wednesfield Residents love our canal amenity!
My congratulations to everyone that worked so hard for a full year to ensure the continued success of this great fun venture for Wednesfield.Her’s to your success next year Hands on Wednesfield, and the team that works so hard to make this such a classy venture.”
The Orange Tree – A Great Little Pub!
The Black Country is know for its heritage and culture, and its great Public Houses. Last night at the Orange Tree, in Ettingshall Village, we discovered yet another great PH .
We soon fell in love with the Asian Menu, and the sheer quality of the food. A few beers and the odd cocktail added more enjoyment to the event.
Our band of friends had a great night and the Orange Tree will have yet another visit from us, in the not to distant future. Well done the Orange Tree for being a great place to meet and eat, and the staff were so helpful and friendly!
Happy Richard Parker – New West Midlands Metro Mayor!
It was good to catch up with new West Midlands Labour Metro Mayor Richard’s Parker. What a baptism he is having!
Nice to chat and he thanked us here in Wednesfield for the support in his own election campaign. Nice man, and he is keen to represent us well. Vote Labour #GE2024
Peacock Ave for Highway Improvement-Latest!
On this site and others on my other social media sites I have been trying hard to inform of our activities to deliver the necessary repairs to a number of highway defects in Wednesfield North, along with my fellow Councillors Mary and Rita. Highway defects are an on-going issue on all the highways that the City Council looks after within our City boundaries. Its often a contentious issue and its been well documented that the UK as a whole requires much more resource to keep our highways to the standards that the UK needs.
As a City Council we are set to invest nearly £10 million in works to improve, maintain and repair Wolverhampton’s highways over the coming year. Included in this budgeted cash boost is a dedicated fund of £500,000 which has been set aside to tackle potholes affecting the city’s roads. This additional funding will support the city’s existing pothole budget.
Among other proposed improvements for 2024/25 are major maintenance and resurfacing schemes across the city.
I have reported previously in Wednesfield North about Peacock Ave. This winter Peacock Ave has taken a bit of a battering. There has been some defects that have been treated. But, there is In addition to these completed jobs, Some defects that require further treatment with large scale repairs which are needed at several junctions, including the one on Peacock Ave where it meets the Lichfield Road.
To undertake these works safely, and to comply with legality, it is necessary to apply for a series of road closures on both Lichfield Rd and Peacock Avenue. The City Council are currently exploring options to arrange this. Your City Councillors are pushing to complete these works as soon as possible.
There will of course need to be some diversion routes and City engineers and the legal department officials are currently working on these. Any diversion routes will need to be coordinated with other works ongoing in the wider area. So there is a great deal of work still to be undertaken behind the scenes to enable all of this to be pulled together.
I am assured by the Highway engineers that once we have identified a suitable slot, they will undertake the work required. The appropriate notifications, will then be publicised, this will be work has a likelihood of being commenced in about 6 weeks time. As the scheme gets worked through, I will keep you update via my social media sites.