Fly-tipping fears over crackdown
FLY-TIPPERS could be making special trips to Solihull in an attempt to avoid a blitz on offending over the border in Birmingham, it is feared.
Concerns have been raised that culprits are increasingly crossing council boundaries to dump waste after tougher rules to combat the problem were announced in the Second City.
Cllr Steve Caudwell, leader of Solihull Green Party, cited fears that a stricter approach in the neighbouring authority might be driving incidents in certain parts of the borough. But the ruling Conservative group has insisted Solihull takes a tough line and six fines had been dished out following cases in the past year.
His comments echo concerns from Clean and Green – a North Solihull litter picking group – that suggestions of a “wall of shame” policy in Birmingham could tempt even more offenders to cross over the border. Areas such as Shard End, Sheldon, Acocks Green and
Hall Green are directly next to Solihull, with easy access to its parks and public spaces.
There has been criticism in the past that more of the culprits aren’t caught and punished, although the council has argued that a “criminal burden of proof” must be applied in each case.
Almost one million fly-tipping offences were reported nationwide in 2019/20, with only 2,671 court fines and 75,400 fixed penalty notices imposed.
AN otter – one of the UK’s rarest mammals more commonly at home in Britain’s rivers – has been spotted in a Wolverhampton canal.
The semi-aquatic mammal was caught on camera by eagle-eyed walker Sarinder Joshua Daroch, swimming along the Wyrley and Essington Canal at Bentley Bridge, Wednesfield.
Largely absent from our waterways for more than half a century, the otter was seen catching a fish along the stretch of canal at the rear of the Nickelodeon pub.
A designated Local Nature Reserve (LNR) since 2008, the canal is already home to swans, Canada geese, kingfishers and a variety of other wildlife. Evidence of badgers using the towpath has also been reported recently.
Paul Wilkinson, senior ecologist at the Canal & River Trust, said: “It’s wonderful to hear that one of our most enigmatic mammals has been spotted swimming along the Wyrley and Essington Canal. The fact that we’re even talking about otters on formerly industrial canals is incredible and a real testament to all the hard work that so many people have put into improving the water quality in the region.
“We know we have about 10 otters with territories along our canals, and its amazing that they’re now being seen in areas where they have been absent for over 60 years.”
Councillor Phil Bateman (Lab, Wednesfield North), who campaigned for the Wyrley and Essington Canal to be made a LNR in 2007, said: “This is hugely exciting. Here we are in 2021 and the canal is now a much-loved and explored nature reserve. This very first sighting of an otter two miles outside the city centre is fantastic.”
TWO separate schemes to put a massive motorway services in the Solihull countryside have been rejected.
The rivals bids to build a M42 stop-off near Shirley or Catherine de Barnes were thrown out at a specially-called planning committee meeting.
Campaigners were angered last week when it emerged that council officers had recommended that members should be “minded to approve” the Catherine de Barnes scheme, while rejecting the Shirley plan.
Although councillors quickly made clear they were deeply unhappy with both proposals, which they said would mean the permanent loss of a large section of greenbelt.
Following a three-hour debate, the committee voted unanimously to refuse permission at both locations, which lie a few miles apart.
Councillors felt neither development could justify the loss of such a significant piece of the Meriden Gap,
which is seen as a crucial barrier against urban sprawl.
Cllr Jim Ryan (Con, Bickenhill) said future generations “wouldn’t forgive” a decision to grant approval.
“If the applicant for Catherine de Barnes set out to find the worst site for a MSA [motorway service area] then I congratulate them, they’ve found it.
“Nothing can mitigate the loss of so much greenbelt, habitats, hedgerows it’s just massive when you take it all into consideration.
“If this application was to go ahead, it would be a ghastly folly of destruction in this particular area.”
Cllr David Cole (Lab, Kingshurst & Fordbridge) said the valuable stretch of the Meriden Gap had been under “immense pressure” for decades and more was to come – with HS2 and new housing schemes on the horizon.
“And it doesn’t get any better, it doesn’t get any easier at all,” he said.
“We’ve been nibbling away at this little area for years and years and years; we’ve had the airport extension, we’ve had the railway station put in, we’ve had the NEC built and then the NEC extension and don’t forget the M42 itself – that ploughed through greenbelt land originally.
“I say to myself where is it all going to end? Are we going to build tarmac straight over up to Coventry? We have got to put a stake in the ground somewhere.”
Council planning officer Lawrence Osborne had briefed the meeting on why officials had come down in favour of the Catherine de Barnes scheme.
He also alluded to the fact that there was “a gap” in the motorway network and this had been a consideration when previous proposals were brought forward over a decade ago – even though they were ultimately unsuccessful.
But all nine councillors voted to dismiss both the schemes on the table, citing the damage it would do to precious open space.
Cllr Richard Holt, chair of the planning committee, said: “They’re very special rural areas that people have a lot of benefit and joy out of and they’re being seriously undermined by these developments if they are to take place.”
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street welcomed the decision to protect “irreplaceable” habitats.