Westmidlands

Monday, December 8, 2025 smethwick conservative children home westmidlands police planning security council transformation

Sandwell Council has granted permission to convert the historic Smethwick Conservative Club into a residential home for vulnerable children. The building, which has been a fixture on Smethwick High Street for over 100 years, … Read More

Monday, December 8, 2025 nhs dentistry urgentcare westmidlands dentalappointments toothache emergency dentalabscess dentalcare healthcare

The West Midlands has expanded access to urgent dental care with the introduction of additional NHS appointments. This initiative is part of a nationwide rollout providing 700,000 extra urgent dental visits to patients across … Read More

Monday, December 8, 2025 birmingham speedcameras roadsafety traffic a45 enforcement speedlimits coventryroad westmidlands transport

Birmingham is rolling out the first of a new set of average speed cameras aimed at improving road safety across the city. As part of a comprehensive safety campaign, six major routes have been selected for camera installation … Read More

Monday, December 8, 2025 birmingham unsolved murder jasonspence greatbarr westmidlands homicide justice coldcase nightout

Jason Spence, a 31-year-old father of three from Kingstanding, was enjoying a night out with friends on November 13, 2002, at the Bell pub in Great Barr—a night that would tragically end in his death. After leaving the pub, … Read More

Saturday, December 6, 2025 speeding m6 midlands variablelimits speedcameras motorway fines traffic westmidlands enforcement

Tens of thousands of drivers on the West Midlands stretch of the M6 motorway have been fined for speeding in 2024, even while driving under the usual 70mph limit. This is largely due to the use of variable speed cameras … Read More

Friday, December 5, 2025 happiness skipton uk westmidlands rightmove housing community nature realestate wellbeing

Rightmove has unveiled its highly anticipated Happy at Home Index for 2025, revealing the happiest places to live across the UK based on a survey of over 19,500 residents. Topping the list is the charming market town of … Read More

Friday, December 5, 2025 buses westmidlands transport funding government publictransport fares infrastructure economy localauthorities sport

The West Midlands is set to benefit from a major government investment aimed at revolutionizing bus travel across the region. A substantial £264.1 million funding package has been announced to improve bus services, making … Read More

Friday, December 5, 2025 a38 aston expressway birmingham roadworks closure traffic tidallane speedlimit westmidlands

Drivers in Birmingham are being advised of an overnight closure on the A38 Aston Expressway to facilitate essential roadworks. The expressway will be shut in both directions from 10pm on Friday, December 5, until 3am on … Read More

Thursday, December 4, 2025 foodbanks westmidlands hunger trusselltrust poverty winter donations elderly families crisis

Food banks across the West Midlands are bracing for a significant “winter surge” as thousands of elderly people, working families, and carers face increasing financial pressure. Last winter, from December 2024 to … Read More

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 christmas santa grotto birmingham westmidlands family events attractions polarexpress festivals

This Christmas season, Birmingham and the West Midlands are brimming with enchanting opportunities to meet Santa Claus. From garden centers to themed attractions, and even special train and boat rides, there’s a magical … Read More

Tuesday, December 2, 2025 solihull roadsafety trafficcollisions fatalities injuries transport westmidlands council accidents highways

The number of deaths on Solihull’s roads continues to decline, but recent data indicates the borough may still fall short of its ambitious 2030 road safety goals. Statistics from the Department for Transport reveal nine … Read More

Tuesday, December 2, 2025 westmidlands police misconduct databreach confidentiality investigation disciplinary hearing retirement professionalism

A former West Midlands police officer secretly accessed confidential police systems without legitimate reason, a disciplinary hearing has revealed. Detective Constable Keeling, who served the force for 25 years, admitted to … Read More

Monday, December 1, 2025 westmidlands mostwanted fugitives police crime arrests investigation attemptedmurder lawenforcement publicappeal

For years, West Midlands Police have been searching for several suspects who remain at large, making them the longest-serving members of the force’s most wanted list. Despite numerous public appeals and thousands of views of … Read More

Saturday, November 29, 2025 westmidlands nature conservation biodiversity restoration greenspaces environment wildlife sustainability climatechange

The West Midlands has revealed an ambitious new Local Nature Recovery Strategy aimed at protecting and enhancing the region’s natural environments. This 62-step plan is designed to restore wildlife habitats, improve waterways … Read More

Saturday, November 29, 2025 rent westmidlands solihull birmingham housing inflation ons rentalprices tenants costofliving

Rent prices across the West Midlands are climbing rapidly, with some areas now seeing average rents exceed £1,000 per month, according to recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Leading the surge is … Read More

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 housing homelessness westmidlands temporary children accommodation socialhousing government mayor crisis

Recent government data has revealed a troubling increase in the number of families living in temporary accommodation in the West Midlands. Between April 1 and June 30 this year, 8,820 households were reported to be in … Read More

Monday, November 24, 2025 missing birmingham woman westmidlands police kingsheath solihull nissan appeal urgent

West Midlands Police have issued an urgent appeal to help locate Cathleen, a 38-year-old woman who went missing from Kings Heath on the night of Friday, November 21. Her family and authorities are increasingly concerned for … Read More

Monday, November 24, 2025 investment smes westmidlands businessgrowth funding entrepreneurship support startups innovation networking

A successful business support initiative that has empowered 2,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the West Midlands is facing an uncertain future, with calls mounting to extend its funding beyond March 2026. … Read More

Monday, November 24, 2025 m6 overturned vehicle motorway police westmidlands traffic delays emergency lanes

An overturned vehicle has forced the closure of lanes in both directions on the M6 motorway. West Midlands Police are currently at the scene managing the incident. Motorists should expect significant delays in the surrounding …

Saturday, November 22, 2025 speeding westmidlands fines roadsafety speedlimits traffic enforcement birmingham motorists speedcameras motoring

Nearly 100,000 drivers in the West Midlands have received fines this year for speeding on residential roads with 30mph limits, highlighting the prevalence of speeding in the area. Data obtained by BirminghamLive under freedom … Read More

Saturday, November 22, 2025 suttoncoldfield unemployment westmidlands jobmarket economy perrybarr employment jobcentres youthemployment investment

Unemployment trends across the West Midlands show a promising decline in many areas during the second half of this year, reflecting a broader national decrease. However, Sutton Coldfield, known for its affluent reputation, … Read More

Saturday, November 22, 2025 houseprices birmingham westmidlands ons property pricegrowth fiveways solihull blackcountry markettrends

House prices in parts of the West Midlands have soared by up to £265,000 in just one year, according to recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). An analysis of medium house prices between March 2024 and … Read More

Friday, November 21, 2025 westmidlands publictransport busservices transportresearch greenbelt section106 buspatronage urbanplanning sustainability housingdevelopment sport

Concerns over low bus usage in the West Midlands have prompted calls for a thorough investigation into why residents prefer driving despite accessible public transport options. Solihull councillor Andrew Burrow, chair of the … Read More

Friday, November 21, 2025 dudley driving theorytest westmidlands passrates scotland testcentres candidates preparation uk

A town in the Midlands has been identified as one of the worst places in the UK for passing driving theory tests. Dudley’s test centre ranked fourth lowest nationwide, with a pass rate of just 38.2% for 2024/25, according to … Read More