A special meeting of the council is to be held on 21 December 2009 in relation to revised governance arrangements.

It takes place in the Council Chamber, Council House, Lichfield Street, Walsall, at 6pm.

View proposal to be considered at special council meeting (PDF 91KB)

Appendix 1 (PDF 30KB)

Improving the nation’s health relies on a combination of prevention and treatment. While treating sickness is naturally the preserve of the NHS, many people believe that the public health agenda – promoting and enabling healthier lifestyles – sits more comfortably within local government.

Local authorities have a long history of involvement in public health, stretching back to the urban planning of 19th century Britain. They also have a long history of engaging communities. Councils are seen as community leaders and are strong on consultation.

Addressing the underlying issues around public health requires community action, which suggests that councils have a critical part to play. After all, everything they do has an impact on the well being of the local population…….. http://bit.ly/6PC7XJ

Now try this link and compare the theory with the practice under a Tory controlled council:  http://bit.ly/YgulD  Free swimming till 2011 everywhere is what the council website boasts. What they really mean is everywhere else accept in Willenhall if the Tories get their way!!

What a sad old world we’re living in! Council workmen have today had to remove New Invention’s ornamental arch at the entrance to the community green on the corner of Lichfield Road with Forest gate.

The arch was removed this afternoon because it had been vandalised over the weekend. Someone had cut through three of the four legs of the metal structure rendering it unsafe.

“This is the latest in a series of mindless attacks around the newly established green” said Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Shires who was alerted to the problem by a member of the community forum earlier this afternoon.

Flower beds have had to be replanted twice after flowers and shrubs, mostly donated by the local community, had been stolen, and someone had tried to lift one of the benches out of the ground a couple of months ago.

The green was created from a piece of open scrub land in order to prevent the possibility of it being lost to development and to provide an attractive focal point for the community. In the short time it has been in existence it has become a well used feature at the heart of the urban village.

Fears were being expressed today that work currently going on between J10 and J10a was set to drag on well into the new year in-spite of claims to the contrary by “The Highways Agency” (a government quango) reports Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Shires.

Just a few weeks ago residents and councillors in the area had been told that sections of environmental fencing, designed to protect residents living near the motorway from from the effects of noise and light pollution, would only be removed when work in that area was imminent and would be replaced as soon as possible.

Residents in Wood Lane, Short Heath were given the assurance that the fence would be back in place before Christmas. They are now being told that a temporary “Garden Fence” might be put up, but the replacement environmental fence would not be erected till probably February 2010.

“I can’t believe the arrogance of the Highways Agency” said Ian today. “Sections of fencing have been removed weeks in advance of any work taking place. Even where work is going on contractors are giving little thought to residents nearby” claimed Ian.

“There is a whole stretch of fencing between Wood Lane and the Lichfield Road which has been down for weeks now which is affecting hundreds of properties on the Poets Estate to intolerable levels of pollution” continued Ian.

“We are being told that the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency is planning to visit the area shortly. If this is so then he needs to see for himself the full extent of the hardship his organisation is causing to local residents. Councillors representing Short Heath and New Invention are also demanding he meets with them when he visits Walsall.” concluded Ian.

MailOnline 29 Nov 09 

Banks are back in the news. Just when they hoped quietly to get on with business as usual, we have had sharp reminders of why they can’t.

It has emerged that, a year ago, there was a secret £62billion loan to keep leading banks afloat.

The Supreme Court has ruled that banks do not have to refund customers the billions they took in unfair charges. And, now, we have a limp, half-hearted report by a City insider recommending top bankers’ pay be kept secret…….

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1231718/VINCE-CABLE-We-sign-cheques-lets-names.html#ixzz0YKCvcbPA

After more revelations about standards of care at several NHS hospital trusts, the Liberal Democrats have said the case for a public inquiry is overwhelming.

Liberal Democrat Health spokesman Norman Lamb said:

“We were told that the Mid Staffordshire case was a one-off scandal.

“At the time I called for a public inquiry and it was rejected then.

“Now the case is overwhelming and we appear to have a system which seems to be able to deliver ‘paper-safety’ but not real ‘patient safety’.”

By Kirsty Walker MailOnline 29 Nov 09 

David Cameron’s green adviser Zac Goldsmith is facing calls to resign after admitting that he claims non-domicile tax status.

Mr Goldsmith, who is also standing as a Tory candidate at the General Election, is avoiding paying hugs sums of tax on his estimated £200million fortune.

The multimillionaire has admitted that some of his British properties are held offshore in a Trust which was set up by his late father Sir James Goldsmith.

David Cameron and Zac Goldsmith. An ally of the Tory leader, he was asked to draw up a plan for environmental policies

Mr Goldsmith’s 300-acre ecological farm in Devon and a house in Richmond, bought for £7.75million in 2007, are both owned by companies based in the Cayman Islands.

The disclosure risks embarrassing the Conservative party as the shadow chancellor George Osborne has criticised non-doms for avoiding paying tax and has pledged to impose a £25,000 on their wealth.

Non-domicile status is usually reserved for foreign nationals or people with roots overseas. It allows them to avoid tax on money earned outside Britain, unless they bring the money back into the country.

A spokesman for Mr Goldsmith insisted that the 34-year-old is planning to change his tax status next year.

He added that the former Etonian, who is a close ally of Mr Cameron, already pays tax on his UK business ventures.

‘Zac Goldsmith, along with other members of his family, some of whom live in different parts of the world, is a discretionary beneficiary of a trust … The trust owns a number of properties around the world,’ the spokesman said.

‘The UK element of the trust’s portfolio includes homes which are made available for Zac and his family. These homes are not owned by Zac and are trust assets.

‘Zac does currently have non-domiciled status by virtue of his late father’s domicile. He is, however, resident for tax purposes and has already taken the decision to relinquish his non-domicile status.’

But Lord Oakeshott, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, said: ‘Cameron must sack Zac Goldsmith as a candidate now.

‘He’s not fit to sit in parliament, when he’s claimed non-dom status all his life to keep his offshore hundreds of millions free of income, capital gains or inheritance tax. He must pay the millions he’s dodged to the British taxman.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1231847/Zac-Goldsmith-Calls-David-Camerons-green-adviser-step-non-dom-tax-status.html#ixzz0YHeZXLSZ

Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne has urged local community groups working to fight violence and to help the victims of violence to see if they can apply to an EU fund designed to help such projects work more effectively.

The West Midlands MEP was keynote speaker at a seminar for 45 potential applicants to the European Union’s ‘Daphne III’ programme for projects to combat violence and exploitation and share best practice. The seminar, held at Newman University College in Bartley Green last Friday, was organised by West Midlands in Europe.

Liz Lynne said she was one of the MEPs who had pushed for the DAPHNE programme to be set up and remained a strong supporter….. http://bit.ly/6023k3

The Christmas lights have been switched on across Willenhall in-spite of a Scrooge like attempt by Walsall’s Tory cabinet to restrict the festive lights to District Centres only reports Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Shires.

Willenhall Local Neighbourhood Partnership (LNP) sponsored extra lights in Willenhall Town Centre where the town’s Traders and Community Support Group planned this year’s switch on event. 

The LNP also ensured that shoppers in Short Heath and New Invention weren’t left out by sponsoring the lights in High Road, Lane Head, and at The Square, Lichfield Road.

The YamYam 29 Nov 09: Beacon Radio 29 Nov 09
Residents in Bentley have told how they took a stand against a group of 60 young people terrorising their estate, of how gangs would smash windows, drink and fight on the streets and scare locals on Western Avenue…