Latest news with #Wednesbury
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wednesbury tram depot expansion costs increase by £7.65m
Costs of an expansion to cater for increased tram services at a West Midlands Metro depot have risen by more than £ Midlands Combined Authority bosses have agreed to increase the total budget for the scheme in Wednesbury to £ upgrade was necessary as projects to increase Metro lines across the region continued at a pace, they added that extending the depot would allow for extra stabling for the increased fleet, a new control room, extra workshop and engineering facilities as well as an improved training academy. Current Metro works include the extension of services from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, with phase one of the scheme expected to completed later this year and phase two launched in is also continuing on the Birmingham Eastside Extension, which will provide links to HS2 at Curzon Street and extension is seen as crucial to unlocking a new line from Digbeth to Birmingham City FC's £3bn Sports Quarter plans in Bordesley as well as going on to serve north Solihull, the airport, NEC and surrounding Arden Cross regeneration zone."The depot improvement works, which include upgrades to power supplies and overhead cables, will future-proof the Metro ahead of further growth of the network," said Jo Shore, from Transport for West added: "We regularly review projects to add additional scope or reflect operational changes."The budget for these works reflects changes in specifications and scope in several areas to improve durability and lifespan as well as a review of wider project costs." This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police pull over 33 vehicles in Wednesbury and find 30 offences
A motorist was arrested on suspicion of drug driving during a police road safety crackdown in Wednesbury. Yesterday's police operation saw 33 vehicles pulled over in the town and more than 30 traffic offenses reported. One driver was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and using a vehicle in a dangerous condition. READ MORE: Biker suffers potentially life-threatening injuries in Worcestershire crash Other traffic offences recorded included drivers having tinted windows, no licence, no insurance, not wearing a seatbelt, illegal tyres and using a mobile phone at the wheel. Four vehicles were seized and six prohibited from being used on the roads. A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: "We seized vehicles and made an arrest during a road safety operation in Wednesbury yesterday, June 18. "Our teams carried out the targeted activity - along with partner agencies - on routes in and around the town centre. "It led to 33 vehicles being pulled over, more than 30 traffic offences being reported, and one arrest on suspicion of drug driving and using a vehicle in a dangerous condition. "The traffic offences included having tinted windows, no licence, no insurance, not wearing a seatbelt, illegal tyres and using a mobile phone at the wheel. "There were four vehicles seized and six prohibited from being used on the roads. "The multi-agency traffic operation involved our Road Harm Prevention Team, Wednesbury Neighbourhood Team, Sandwell Council Road Safety Team, Sandwell Council Waste Carrier Team, Sandwell Council Taxi Licensing Team and DVSA. "We regularly conduct road operations working with communities and partners to create safer roads for everyone, and deterring criminals who abuse the road network. "Your safety is our number one priority and we are committed to reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. "It comes as the Safer6 campaign is running across the borough with partners working together to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour, and deal with other issues that matter to residents across the six towns."
BBC News
16-06-2025
- BBC News
Trio who stole cars and motorbikes across Staffordshire sentenced
Three men, who worked together to steal a number of cars, motorbikes and quadbikes, have been Halls, 23, of Wednesbury, Rio Halls, 19, of Walsall and Josh Gunter, 22, of Walsall, targeted a number of Ford vehicles and Land Rovers as well as motorbikes and quad said they focussed on homes in Rawnsley, Norton Canes, Great Wyrley, Featherstone and Kings Bromley in a trial at Stafford Crown Court on 10 June the trio were found guilty of offences including conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and theft. Det Con Steven Davenport said the investigation resulted in a significant disruption to vehicle theft. Bray Halls was found guilty of conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and sentenced 32 months. Rio Halls was found guilty of theft and sentenced to a 10-week detention and training order, while Josh Gunter was found guilty of theft. He was issued with a 12-month community order and ordered to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Plan to convert £1m Wednesbury home into special school withdrawn
Plans to convert a £1m home into a special needs school have been withdrawn after concerns over parking and traffic. The four-bed Round House, in Reservoir Passage near Wednesbury town centre, was sold to Spring Hill High School last year. It planned to convert the house, which includes a tennis court, swimming pool and its own windmill, into a school for children with social, emotional and mental health issues and learning difficulties. But Sandwell Council, which had expressed concern over access and parking, said the plans had been withdrawn. The school submitted the application for a facility serving up to 30 children on 23 December last local authority's highways department had said it was concerned over a lack of information in the proposals. Officers noted a big difference between a family home and a school serving 30 pupils and 20 staff; with the "extremely narrow" Reservoir Passage also unsuitable for two-way council was also unclear over whether pupils would arrive by foot, car, minibus or taxi, which would cause different levels of traffic. The hilltop home took more than 25 years to build and was sold to the school by owner Matthew Humphries following the death of his parents. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
30-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Teen sentenced after carer injured in Wolverhampton hit-and-run
A teenager who left a carer for dead in a hit-and-run crash has been sentenced to four years in a young offenders' Clenton, 19, stole a Land Rover Discovery from an Ikea car park in Wednesbury on 30 September, before driving to an initial police pursuit, he crashed at speed into a car carrying 19-year-old Freya Theobold and a colleague, who were visiting homes in their work for a care Theobold, an adult nursing student, suffered severe pelvic and spinal fractures, a broken leg and needed bowel reconstruction surgery, and doctors initially feared she would never walk again. Since the crash, she has suffered repeated flashbacks and nightmares, and spent weeks in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and later New Cross in Wolverhampton, before continuing her rehabilitation at exclusively to the BBC, Ms Theobold said the past five months had been the hardest experience of her life. Reflecting on the sentence, she said: "I feel relieved knowing it can't happen to someone else, another life won't be ruined and just the thought that I am going to get some justice."I think they are very selfish actions – he's caused some really traumatic things to me. "I hope he can learn from it and maybe not make the same mistake again - to better himself. Because no-one should have to go through what I've had to go through."Ms Theobold is now making steady progress thanks to regular rehabilitation and mental health that, she has had to put her University of Wolverhampton course on hold."I can pretend I'm as normal as I can be, but in reality my mum still has to do my daily tasks for me, so does my nan," she said. "I can't just walk to the shop, I can't do those things and a lot of my independence has been taken away." 'A deterrent' Clenton was also banned from driving for three years on an earlier hearing, Clenton, of Tennyson Road in Wolverhampton, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle theft, failing to stop, driving without insurance and while Insp Richard Marsh, of West Midlands Police (WMP), said the Land Rover had initially been pursued by officers. "The driver was driving at high speed and dangerously and police backed off due to the nature of the driving," he Insp Marsh described Clenton's behaviour as "incredibly reckless", adding some people viewed car thefts as a "virtually victimless crime" with low risk and little consequence."This case should act as a deterrent... while the victim suffered very serious injuries, it could have been a lot worse," he said. Freedom of Information data published by WMP shows that 305 Land Rover Discoveries were stolen in the region in 2024, more than any other model of car.A total of 1,623 arrests were made in the 12 months to February 2025, but only 6.9% of stolen vehicles were recovered, according to the force recently launched a crack down on vehicle thefts that saw 200 vehicles recovered with a combined value of £1.8m."There are successes where we locate vehicles that have been taken, stored, ready to be chopped up to make other vehicles or used for parts, which is very prevalent at the moment," Det Insp Marsh said."We're working with the motor industry and partners to prevent and detect the crime." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
