SANDWELL: WARLEY NEWS New garden waste bins are now being delivered in readiness for the new service to start in April. This service has already proved to be very popular with Bearwood residents in the roads that have been included in a pilot scheme.

Now, every household that wants to send their garden waste to compost will receive the service.  Overall, 86,000 bins are being delivered to households across Sandwell for the new service and will be delivered between now and March. Everyone will receive a calendar in March giving details of the dates for the fortnightly collection.

Abbey Councillor Steve Eling with Cllr Mahboob Hussain, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods

WARLEY NEWS: Alderman John Sullivan, the long serving former Councillor for Langley ward is to be awarded the Freedom of Sandwell. John served as a member of the former Warley County Borough Council, representing the Rounds Green ward, from 1971 to1974 until Sandwell was created.

He then represented the Langley ward until his retirement from the Council in 2004. He became an honorary Alderman in 2005. During his time on the Council, he rendered distinctive service to the Council as a representative of his Langley ward, serving as Chair of the Housing Committee. He also served as Mayor of the Borough. His colleague, Councillor Martin Prestidge said: “I think that John really deserves this honour which has only been given to a handful of people in the thirty plus years of Sandwell as a Borough.

He has worked hard as a Councillor to advance the interests of ordinary people in an exceptional way. “I don’t think that there is a single person in Sandwell, certainly not in Langley, who begrudges him this honour. He has served the people of Langley well over the years.” 

Bristnall Ward Councillor Steven Frear, nephew of Alderman Sullivan said “The entire family is overjoyed at the honour, he is a people person and loved by the community and no one deserves this honour more than our Uncle Johnny”. The ceremony will take place 30^th March at Sandwell Council House, Oldbury

BRISTNALL WARD: There has been much local speculation since the closure of LangleyHigh School on Farm road.  The main concerns from residents have been towards the likely use of the land.
 
Currently the school is being used as the Farm Road annex to Warley High Sports College on Pound Road and will remain so until the Multi Million rebuild of the Pound road site is complete.
 
Then the former Langley High School will be developed and a new twenty five million pound school will be built with students from Bristnall Hall technical college moving to the site.
 
Councillor Mary Griffin “ The Opening of the new school will see further investment into education in our ward, with an staggering twenty five million pounds currently being spent on Oldbury College of Sport on Pound road. It really does show the commitment our Government and Sandwell Council have to education”.
 
The new educational centre on Farm Road is expected to be built by 2010/11 and will see two state of the art educational centres within the Bristnall Ward.Picture of Council Mary Griffin outside Bristnall Hall Technical College

LANGLEY WARD: Councillor Martin Prestidge has called for action on the increasing problem of dog fouling. He said:” I am often approached by residents about this problem. Dogs give a great deal of pleasure and companionship for many people; however there is a minority of irresponsible owners who refuse to clean up after their pets. This is a particular nuisance on pavements and pathways”. He added;” I understand that a report on the problem is shortly to go to the Council on this problem, with a view to enabling Street Wardens to impose fixed penalty fines of £75 on culprits. This is a step in the right direction, however the real answer is for pet owners to be responsible and clear up after their animals!”