The Willenhall Local Neighbourhood Partnership Meeting due to take place on Wednesday 16th July 2008 has had to be cancelled due to industrial action planned by local government unions for the 16th & 17th July.

The meeting will now take place on Wednesday 6th August 2008 @ 6pm at the Willenhall Community and Youth Foundation, Gomer Street, Willenhall. 

Talks took place yesterday (Wednesday) between Lib Dem group leader cllr Ian Shires and Housing 21, the private company which will be delivering older peoples provision at Short Heath House in Sandbeds Road.

The talks gave Ian the opportunity to put the concerns of nearby residents directly to Housing 21.  “Residents are not opposed to the continued provision for older people on the Sandbeds Road site” said Ian ”but they are concerned that by building at the back of the site the new 3-story home will be very imposing as the land falls towards their houses making it appear even higher.”

Housing 21 explained that they are restricted as to where they can put the new building as a large sewer system crosses the site.  “Never the less” said Ian, “Housing 21 need to look again at the design of the new building as residents will continue to object to the planning application unless the impact of the new home is reduced.”

Housing 21 has agreed to look again at the site to see what can be achieved. 

On the 60th Anniversary of the NHS, Short Heath Lib Dem Focus Team councillors Doreen Shires, John Cook and Eileen Pitt have launched a campaign to improve access to health services for Short Heath Ward residents.

Currently there are no GP practices or Health Centres in Short Heath Ward and residents have to travel to New Invention, Bentley or Willenhall Town Centre to access health services.

Recently the government announced a programme to create 100 new practices across England.  This has resulted in the Borough of Walsall being allocated three.  Did Short Heath get a look in?  Not on your life!  “This is not good enough” said cllr Doreen Shires.  “Willenhall Local Neighbourhood Partnership (LNP) recognising the lack of any facilities in Short Heath identified as a priority to promote a Health Centre there.  Now, given the opportunity to address the problem, Walsall Primary Care Trust (PTC) who are represented on the LNP, has chosen to ignor our plight.”

Walsall PTC, a government quango, is putting one of the new practices in Croft Street, Willenhall.  This will make it five GP practices in Willenhall South Ward.  Willenhall North has two leaving Short Heath with none!

The reason given by Walsall PCT for siting the new Willehall practice in Croft Street was in order to get the new practices the money had to be spent this financial year.  Croft Street is owned by the PCT and, so they say, is the only site that could be developed in the time scale demanded by the government.

Launching the campaign for better Health Services for Short Heath Doreen said, “On the 60th anniversary of the NHS you would think that everyone would have a GP within reasonable reach of where they live.  This campaign aims to get that facility for the residents of Short Heath!”

Radical plans to improve provision for the elderly have hit a snag as plans for the redevelopment of Short Heath House in Sandbeds Road were announced.

Although the issue of replacing Short Heath House has been in the public arena for some time, until now plans had taken the form of artist impressions. What they didn’t show was how the land falls away quite steeply from the site and just how close the new three-story building is to existing residential properties in Stroud Avenue.

Angry residents have approached the Lib Dem Focus Team for help. Talks have taken place with Housing 21 who will be delivering the council’s services to the elderly and meetings with the architects have been arranged in a bid to reduce the impact of the proposed new building.

“The outcome of these meetings will determine what action the residents will take next,” said Lib Dem cllr Ian Shires.