Report to Wednesfield North Labour Party Members

This is a short report originally to Wednesfield North Labour Party members, as this month of September we shall not be having a meeting. It is designed just to give members a flavour of what we are up to as elected members, working for our constituents.

Just a note to inform you of some of the various items that Wednesfield North Labour Councillors are involved in,this is not the whole list of items, but just a few of the interesting issues that we have taken up.

As there will be no Labour Party meeting in August-Please pass this information onto friends and family, if you feel it worth while. May I also just remind I also run a Facebook Page Councillor Phil Bateman Wednesfield North- and a web page www.philbateman.com both these electronic pages are for public viewing keeping the actions of the Labour Party on public view!

First as Labour Party Members you will have had a note from me as to why I support the City Councils Community Hubs Proposals. I have outlined the reasons below again- If you can support Councillor Rita Potter and I on this policy, can you drop a short message of support please!

Councillor Phil Bateman said “I support the Community Hub proposal for Wednesfield North because it will deliver our community here, with new investment and new facilities that will deliver more and varied services to our community for decades to come.

Ashmore Park will not lose a Library,and neither will we lose the Community Centre. We will gain 'new build' facilities with refurbishment for the site earmarked for housing the Hub. This of course is the current Youth Club site and Games barn development. We will not lose the Youth Club nor its service. What we will gain is new build investment that will be more flexible in its ability to be used. The Library and the service it gives will be located in the new Hub. It is just a 'dawdle' from its current site to the new Hub. The extra activities that the Hub will be able to cater for should attract more 'footfall' for the shops as well as all the other facilities that are strung out 'like a row of pearls'. By that I mean the Church, The Hub site,the Health Centre, the Children's Centre and Nursery, The Shopping Parade.

This is a great opportunity for investment that we must not lose. Their is opposition to the development. That opposition is based on selling false facts, and an inability to not understand that sometimes you have to have change. When I was elected just a few short weeks ago I pledged to improve Youth services and facilities, and to consult on Labour's community hubs proposals. I have been through these pages. Interestingly I see no real objections. As a Councillor we must also give a lead to our communities. I would say to you that the Community Hub proposals for Wednesfield North gives much more than it threatens to take away. I would urge you to support this development.”

Bentley Bridge Shopping Park;-The conversations Rita and I have had to date with Axa who own the Shopping Park have been very constructive. They do have a plan materialising with regard to toilet provision, but it is not simple and it requires the agreement of others. But the good news is that the request we have made for investment into public toilets, has not been cast adrift. We are working together to ... see if this requirement can be developed for everyone’s benefit. We have also requested that the owners give consideration to the encouragement of companies coming forward to develop a 'coffee-shop' or cafe type facility. Again the response has been constructive but the decisions are not theirs alone. Currently the Bentley Bridge Shopping Park employs nearly 500 people. These employment openings are important with an average 75,000 weekly number of vehicles visiting Bentley Bridge, it is clearly a destination of growing importance to our own local economy. We are doing our level best as Labour Councillors to encourage investment into our local areas.

Grass Cutting I have written to the Authority regarding the grass cutting in the Ward. When I have the response I will post it on the Facebook so you can see. It may take a little time. I have asked some detailed questions. Residents have been raising the subject with me.

Councillor Phil Bateman Advice Surgery; Please note that on the 7th September I will be starting regular Advice Surgeries from Ashmore Park Community Association buildings at 18.00 through to 19.00 hours.

Followed by a Surgery on the 5th October 2012. Also the 2nd November 2012. However the date for the December surgery has yet to be decided.

Wednesfield North & Crime Table - I have just been looking at the local crime rates,and the Neighbourhood crime league table

The league table looks at the total crimes and crime rate for for 12 months until June 2012 that occurred in all neighbourhoods within 5 miles of Wednesfield North and orders them by lowest crime rate first.

That means it is also looking at crime in Staffordshire and Walsall districts as well and compari ng them with Wednesfield North. Now the good news is that Wednesfield North heads that crime league table as the Ward with the lowest crime recorded.

The table is -1st Wednesfield
2nd Tettenhall
3rd Spring Vale
4th Cheslyn Hay
5th Fallings Park
6th Bushbury
7th Bloxwich East
8th Pelsall
9th Norton Canes
10th Oxley

Our close neighbours Essington & Featherstone are 12th in the table.

Those crime rates for Wednesfield North which are recorded in the other post, are indeed a good set of figures overall. It reflects well on the community and the organisations including Neighbourhood Watch, that are active within the Ward. The Police team and the organisations active are pulling together. More obviously needs to be done. But I am 'lifted' by these statistics. I will be looking closely at them, extracting more information and more detail and will publish the findings here.

Ricki Johnson – Is a young man riding for Wednesfield Aces and he has just won the title of European Junior Cycle Speedway Champion only hours before the arsonists struck the Wednesfield Aces Club House. I attempt to make the point that all that 'bad news' has eclipsed the 'good news' of this one young man's own personal achievement. This links very well with the Aces Cycle Speedway Club and the community that Ricki is part of. Well done Champ! I have written to the Express and Star and I hope the Express and Star publish the letter, Ricki deserves the highest acclamation for his sporting achievement.

VJ Day 16th August - Mary and I attended this years VJ Day ceremony in a very rainy St Peters Square.

Dog Pooh Attack-on the 15th August I was appalled to read on WV11 that boat crews on the Essington & Wyrley Canal were pelted with 'dog pooh' at the Devil’s Elbow bridge. How can we attract trade into Wednesfield when this sort of yobbery happens? It makes you want to despair, there are people working hard behind the scenes to promote the attractiveness of the canal system, with some considering the promotion of more mooring points in Wednesfield itself. Come on residents we should all condemn this sort of actions!

Garage Site at Ridge Lane- I have been approached by residents concerned about dodgy activities at a garage site owned by @wolverhamptonhomes . The residents have explained to me that there is a lot of activity taking place late into the evening. That the site is not being maintained properly, and that weeds and debris is littering the site. I have written to West Midlands Police with regard to the problem. I contacted the police and Wolverhampton Homes . The police are to put in extra patrols and Wolverhampton Homes have agreed to tidy up and strim the site.

Burglary- Members and the public should be careful and help keep a watch on neighbours property. Reports I have received inform me that recently in Wednesfield despite the overall low crime rate.There have been a number of burglaries in the area , all following similar methods of entry. In each case the doors, both back or front, have been forced. The best we can do to deter criminals is to keep a watchful eye on neighbours property and our own property

Wolverhampton Homes are proposing to demolish the disused garages at the rear of the Griffiths Drive shops (Nearest to the Ashmore Park Baptist Church) and replace them with a 22 bay car parking facility. A consultation process with residents and local shopkeepers is already underway. Just for the record I believe it is the right policy,as it will make the area safer,reduce time expired buildings that have been visited by arsonists in the past.Make the area that more presentable.

Wednesfield Aces By now everyone will know of the arson attack on Wednesfield Aces track and club house which took place this month. Both Rita Potter and I have been working with the Club to repair and to initiate support and help from other organisations. Aces are hard at work getting on with the repairs. The community have been very generous and the club is still receiving donations- They do a great job in keeping young people active in sport. If you haven't yet made a '£1 to survive donation' why not wander over and put a £1 in the bucket collection?


ONE STOP Store Recently there have been a number of enquiries about when this new One Stop Store at Higgs Road/Griffith Drive would be open. I promised to try and find a date. I have been in touch with the company. They inform me that they have yet to determine when the shop will open for trading. Looks like potential users will have to be a touch more patient! The One Stop Group have agreed to let me know when a decision has been made.


Coppice Farm-I posted a note on the 1st August relating to Coppice Farm Estate and Walsall's proposal to erect Goal Post's on their land, close to the Coppice Farm Road. I have spoken to residents about this. There appears to be no real objection, so unless I hear anything to the contrary, it will not be my intention to object to their arrangements. Both Rita and I met with a Walsall Council official on site during this month to discuss the proposal.


Bus Shelter Linthouse Lane- Well done Rita as it looks like you have managed to persuade Centro to turn the bus shelter on Linthouse Lane around. A very good piece of work for bus users who use that particular 'to Ashmore Park' stop.


Band Required= Appealed on Facebook asking friends find a band to lead the Wednesfield British Legion on Remembrance Sunday from the Wood End BL to St Thomas's Church and return after the Church Service on Sunday November 11th 2012? If you know of a band that can provide this lead, please let me know. Certainly do your best to get the message out?!


The Youth Service Put on a sporting event on Ashmore Park built around the Skate Board Park on the 17th August.

Ashmore Park Together - Finally I have had a number of very pleasant conversations with regard to the letter I received from Buckingham Palace with the Queen's recognition of what this community pulled off on her Diamond Jubilee event. I have informed those members of the public that I have passed the correspondence over to the Community Association. I am not sure if they are indeed displaying the contents of the letter. But members should be aware of what has happened and the recognition to the community that has come from the Palace.