I am sure constituents in Wednesfield North will want to join with your Councillors Phil and Mary Bateman, and Rita Potter in offering our deepest condolences to the Royal Family of HM Queen Elizabeth the Second, as the death of this much loved Queen was announced this early evening.

Wednesfield has strong memories of Her Majesty’s visit to our Village in the 1960’s. Our Sovereign was our longest serving Monarch.

Your Majesty – Rest in Peace, you served our Country well.

‘The people of Wednesfield will long remember you.’

UK households will pay almost triple the price to heat their homes this winter compared with a year ago, an unwelcome increase for millions of people already struggling to afford everyday essentials. I must admit that I worry for residents that live here in our Ward of Wednesfield North.
Industry regulator Ofgem raised its cap on domestic energy bills to a record £3,549 ($4,189) beginning Oct. 1. That amount is expected to go even higher in January as the UK competes with other nations for limited gas supplies. So our Government will have to be on its toes to compete for the scarce supplies.
That is what fills me with fear. This Conservative Government has no record to be proud of. Plus, we will have a new PM chosen by less than 200,000 people.

It is a Winter of Woe that I fear for the UK, and all our local community.

Councillor Phil Bateman said today” What a great relationship we have developed with Social Sanctuary, and our friends at Ashmore Park Community Association, as we came together this Summer to fund a Youth Club during the Six Week School Holiday, in a unique partnership. It has been a great success Wednesfield North!” Here is what Social Sanctuary have to say about the project.

The Social Sanctuary Project has been providing sessions for 11- to 18-year-olds throughout the summer, focussing on activities that support the health and wellbeing of our city’s young people.
The activities have been funded partly by Wednesfield North Councillors, Ashmore Park Community Association and funding from the Department for Education Holiday and Food (HAF) programme. Activities include promoting the importance of physical activity through sports and focussing on the importance of good nutrition and food choices, to improve health and mental wellbeing.
Beverley Baxter, Founding Director of the project said: “We are really pleased with how popular the sessions have proved this summer and it’s been great to see how our young people have joined in and got involved in all the activities.
“Our aim has been to provide a safe, chilled space in our local environment in Eastfield and Ashmore Park, where young people can come and meet with their friends and learn about how to feel good and confident about themselves

Full details of all the events and activities taking place as part of Yo! Summer can be found on the website, www.yowolves.co.uk.
 
Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said: “Our aim is to give children and young people the best start in life, and part of this is to offer support and learning through useful activities and things to do during the summer.
 
“We are delighted that the Social Sanctuary Project sessions are proving so popular and thanks to all of the local providers, volunteers and organisations that have worked with us to build this huge range of opportunities for our city’s children and young people.”

Images Caption: BACK L-R: Beverley Baxter, Director at Social Sanctuary; Angela Hall, Vice Chair at Ashmore Park Hub; Mia, 13; Councillor Mary Bateman; Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People; Councillor Rita Potter; Ashley Bertie, Former Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner; Kiah Baxter, Director at Social Sanctuary; Councillor Phil Bateman and Agustina Meola, Director at Social Sanctuary. FRONT L-R: Mikey, 11; Lola, 12; Ellie, 11; Rosie, 13 and Cody, 13.

“

Data gathered by Surfers Against Sewage revealed beaches in Cornwall, Cumbria, Devon, Essex, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Northumberland and Sussex were affected by storm sewage discharge into waterways. The environmental group has been campaigning for water companies to be stopped from allowing sewage to be released into the UK’s oceans for several years.
Now we find out that Conservative MP’s voted to allow this practice to continue. It was not too long ago that I praised our Conservative MP for her campaign to eradicate cruelty to animals with her effort to stop Glue Traps. But this vote just creates misery for people, marine life and of course our rivers and canals. MP’s here have made a huge error and Wednesfield people will remember their support for this wrong decision to vote in this way. Environment Agency data has identified 24,700 sewage spills into England’s bathing waters in 2021 totalling more than 160,000 hours – the equivalent of 18 years.
The BBC were also reporting on Monday, that Southern Water was forced to apologise last week after beaches in East Sussex were closed due to untreated wastewater being released into the sea at the shoreline.
Pollution warnings were put in place across more than 40 beaches and swimming spots in England and Wales after heavy rain overwhelmed sewer systems.
Particular concern was raised over a handful of beaches that have bathing water status – including Littlehampton in West Sussex and Lee-on-Solent in Hampshire – where the Lib Dems said some Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) devices were not installed at all.
Across Devon and Cornwall, one in eight of South West Water’s sewage monitors installed at designated bathing locations were also either faulty or not installed, they said.
All of these areas are popular holiday destinations for Black Country folk, and I imagine holidaymakers here in Wednesfield and Wolverhampton are concerned as to what they may have been paddling in?
National and international news gatherers ITV, also puts Severn Trent Water company under the spotlight- They report that “The equivalent of 64 years’ worth of raw sewage was dumped into rivers and streams last year by Severn Trent Water, new figures have revealed. According to data released by the Environment Agency, the water company – which operates services across the Midlands, as well as the south west – released untreated waste into waterways on a total of 60,982 occasions.”
Charity The Rivers Trust called the figure “shocking”, and said “the volume of contaminated wastewater reaching the rivers “shows that our current approach and infrastructure, managing storm water in particular, needs a radical overhaul”.
ITV went onto say “Over the course of 2020, the figures show that the discharges from Severn Trent went on for 558,698 hours between them – equivalent to 23,279 days, or 64 years.
Water companies are permitted to release sewage into rivers to help prevent flooding when the system becomes overwhelmed, for example after periods of prolonged or heavy rain, in what are known as ’storm overflows’ (SOs). These are monitored by the Environment Agency, and the figures released each March.
But The Rivers Trust’s deputy technical director Michelle Walker said the amount of times the overflow system was being used should ring “alarm bells”.

Sadly, No Alarm bells rang for our MP Jane, and she went onto record her vote in Parliament that allows this system to continue. This is a stance that leaves me personally sad about. Wrong decision Jane Stevenson MP.Wrong decision.

The Land North of Linthouse Lane is being eyed up for development. The residents of Wednesfield oppose the loss of this agricultural land which is seen as important Green Belt Land and-a buffer to the expansion of the conurbation.
There is a piece of work taking place in South Staffordshire, which is modelling homes, and transport links, leisure, education and retail on the site. Also being considered is a Country Park in the Essington Village area.
I think that the Country Park should be considered in the Linthouse Lane, Kitchen Lane area.
Wednesfield we have a huge fight here. Make no mistake South Staffs District Council will be bringing forward another document for consultation later this year.
Please give some consideration as individuals how we all make another large effort to emphasise the importance of our Green Belt.

£800 -Awarded to The Uniform Exchange Project.

Wednesfield North Councillors Mary Bateman Rita Potter and Phil Bateman, announced today, that for a second year. We will be financially supporting from the Wednesfield North Ward Funds ‘The Uniform Exchange’ where people make available to other parents, school uniform that still has a lot of life in it, for Local Wednesfield North Schools.

Sarah Rutter – has been running this uniform bank for over 10 years encouraging recycling of reusable garments, to the most vulnerable within our community. She has also been involved in numerous other projects.

Your Councillors have spoken about Sarah Lou Rutter on previous occasions.

We believe that Sarah is a ‘special lady’ giving up so much of her time and energy not just to this project, but for other community projects right across our patch. Last year (2021) your three Councillors awarded Sarah a ‘Wednesfield North Community Excellence Award’ as we felt the Uniform Exchange Project was one of the standout volunteers projects of the Year.

In 2021 we also made an Award of £687 to the uniform bank.

This year 2022 we have made a new Ward Funds contribution of £800, which will have been deposited in The Uniform Exchange Project Bank accounts now. Sarah informs us that the Uniform Exchange Project is under even more pressure from families, as the economic situation and the cost of living issues, creep ever higher and higher.

I am distraught for my residents living in Wednesfield North as there are a number of places that are being pressed by rats. Its one thing seeing them out and about on the streets. Its another experience altogether if they are nesting and making their home in the eaves, cavities and loft space of your property.

I am currently trying to get these vermin treated at a number of sites in my Ward. Its not an easy thing to do. The damage these animals can do to property is one thing. But the mental health and physical damage they are inflicting on my residents is very much another more serious thing.

Residents are sleepless, in tears, and are suffering mentally, Young and Old alike. As these animals move out of, rough outside living seeking substantial shelter in homes.

I want Wednesfield North residents to know, that I and my fellow Councillors are doing all we can to ensure that these rats are dispossessed of their current lairs and shelter. I am not naming roads or streets or property, but I want you to be aware that there are actions being taken.

I am also aware that in other places there are mice problems in the Ward, and we are again pressing the Authorities on these matters. The weather is perhaps exacerbating this age old problem….but your Councillors are doing their level best.

Well the 2022 Wednesfield Canal Festival is now over for yet another year! What a two days it was, and I have a sneaky feeling that it will certainly go in the record books for the heat and the weather if not for the overall Festival! Hands on Wednesfield- this wonderful group of Volunteers, has done much for our Village over the last seven years or so. But I think the success of this Wednesfield Canal Festival will feature up there in their list of best ventures.

We will have to wait to see for a few more days what the official attendance has been but it has been very well attended. We had a record number of Narrow boats trading we had Narrow Boats also visiting and staying over the two days also. I

We have been under pressure from those that have attended to do another Festival next year. Of course that will happen.

I want to pay tribute to the awesome support this festival gets from Hands on Wednesfield. The Volunteer Group who do so much in supporting other Wednesfield ventures like Wednesfield Christmas Lights.

This show has grown so big, every year it has undergone a change. I may have started it modestly. But without these people this event wouldn’t be what it is now.

Chairman of Hands on Wednesfield James Clarke, Simon Archer of Wednesfield Magazine and Simon Hamilton who is a key volunteer in a host of other Wednesfield events, are the new driving force behind Wednesfield Canal Festival.

These trojans, are ably supported by Jim Duncan who uses his vast experience in entertainment to good use, Part of that success is the partnership that has been forged between Hands on Wednesfield and Bentley Bridge Leisure Park, of which none of this would take place without Mark Welsby, who manages the Bentley Bridge Leisure Park. Mark and the Leisure Park have made a huge difference to the rate of growth of the Canal Festival! We also benefit immensely from a close partnership with Greene King Public House The Nickelodeon and Dani the Licencee. With support we receive from the Canal and River Trust the Wednesfield Canal Festival is perhaps the largest event of its kind now in the City.

As more of the detail of the Wednesfield Canal Festival is recorded, we will report on it here on this Blog Site.

As City of Wolverhampton Councillors for Wednesfield North, we are often amazed at how effective our volunteers and community activists are here in our Wednesfield North community. Yesterday whilst in The Hub@Ashmore Park. I ran into Sarah Rutter , who had spent the morning operating her school uniform project .

Everyone knows how expensive School Uniform is, Sarah runs this project called ‘The Uniform Exchange’ where people make available to other parents, school uniform that still has a lot of life in it for Local Wednesfield North Schools. Sarah Rutter – has been running this uniform bank for over 10 years encouraging recycling of reusable garments to the most vulnerable within our community. She has also been involved in numerous other projects.

She is a ‘special lady’ giving up so much of her time and energy not just to this project, but other community projects right across our patch.Last year (2021) your three Councillors awarded Sarah a ‘Wednesfield North Community Excellence Award’ , as we felt the Uniform Exchange Project was one of the standout volunteers project of the Year.

The Mayor and Mayoress of the City of Wolverhampton joined us in the presentation, as did the Leader of the Council and the Deputy Leader of the Council. (the photograph is an image of that award presentation.)I was pleased to see Sarah, as I had the chance to inform her, that Councillor Rita Potter, Councillor Mary Bateman, and myself, were to follow up on last years Ward Fund (2021) contribution of £687, with a new Ward Funds contribution for this year 2022. We are in the process of getting those funds (2022) ‘signed off’ and will make an announcement when the time is appropriate.

It goes without saying that Sarah was pleased! She explained that the Uniform Exchange Project is under even more pressure from families, as the economic situation and the cost of living issues, creep ever higher.

Photograph Wednesfield North Community Excellence Awards 2021 -Left to Right Phil Bateman, Mayor Brackenridge, Councillor Rita Potter, Sarah Rutter, Cllr Mary Bateman, Mayoress Sureena Brackenridge.

Big Day tomorrow! Its the Anniversary of one of Britain’s most important historic battles. The day the Vikings were defeated by the Mercians (Saxons at the Battle of Wodensfield – the battle gave its name to our Village of Wednesfield. Plus, it halted the spread of Vikings. Otherwise we could all be speaking Danish now…

Back in 2014 I moved a motion in full City Council and
It read – “This City Council recognises the importance of the Battle of Wodensfield, which took place in August 910 ,within the current City Boundaries. We wish to ensure the historic significance of this battle by declaring that the City Council flag is flown over the two day Anniversary (5/6) August annually. We further request the City Council to investigate and report back to Cabinet, ways in which this historic event can be marked to regenerate and develop our local economy.”

I just checked with senior Officers at City Council and they confirm “The Council are committed to supporting the commemoration of the Battle of Wodensfield. We will be flying the flag on both the 5 and 6 Aug, and sharing the history on our social channels”.

Wish everyone a ‘Happy Battle of Wednesfield Day’ on Friday & Saturday!


Photograph-Cllr Phil Bateman with the City of Wolverhampton Flag back in 2014.