OFFICERS searching for a missing woman from Tamworth have announced that she has been found safe and well.
AN AMINGTON pensioner has been left scared to leave his home after being followed and subjected to abuse by a group of teenagers.
The 88-year-old pensioner was on one of his regular afternoon walks when the incident happened yesterday, Tuesday 31 May.
A 50 YEAR-OLD woman from Greenheart, Tamworth has been arrested on suspicion of causing Grievous Bodily Harm following an incident at around 9.45 pm yesterday (Tuesday).
West Midlands Ambulance Service were called to Greenheart following the report and a 63 year-old man from the Tamworth area was taken to Walsgrave Hospital to be treated for a serious head injury.
Specially trained Forensic Investigators remain at the scene and the arrested woman remains in custody.
If you have any information about this incident please contact Staffordshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 859 of 3 May.
You can also report crime by contacting the independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through their Anonymous Online Form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
We would ask that at this time, names of persons involved or speculation around the incident is not commented on.
VOLUNTEERS from the Hodge Lane Conservation Group are celebrating after learning that they are to be awarded a £10,000 grant from Tesco to be spent on improving the Local Nature Reserve in Amington.
The money comes from the supermarket giant’s Bags of Help project – where proceeds generated from the sale of carrier bags is given to local environmental projects, following the new law which came in last year making it compulsory for large stores to charge 5p for a carrier bag.
Hodge Lane Conservation Group was one of three projects selected for support by the Tesco stores in Amington, Dosthill, Fazeley and Lichfield.
Customers shopping at the stores between February 27 and March 6 were given tokens and asked to vote for the project they would like to support by dropping the tokens into the appropriate container.
Hodge Lane came second in the voting, and will now receive a £10,000 gift from Tesco.
The money will be used on a number of environmental improvements at the Hodge Lane Nature Reserve, including:
- The replacement of the existing rotten wooden pond dipping platform
- Re-profiling and dredging of the pond to improve the habitat and boost biodiversity
- Carrying out a great crested newt survey
- Funding of four education training sessions for local schools to show teachers and children show to safely use the dipping platform and how to identify pond species
- Buying 12 sets of pond nets, trays, magnifiers and identification guides for loan to schools and groups.
The improvements to the Local Nature Reserve will allow more schools and other groups to make use of the site, as well as creating a better environment for wildlife.
Diane Wells from the Hodge Lane Conservation Group, said: “The Hodge Lane volunteers would like to thank Tesco for supporting our application and all the Tesco customers who voted for us. We have been overwhelmed by the amount donated, which will enable projects throughout the summer.
“We are very proud of being able to preserve this small area of Tamworth and know how much it is appreciated by the public who have this site on their doorstep.”
Hodge Lane Nature Reserve is owned by Tamworth Borough Council. It is run and managed under the Wild About Tamworth project – a partnership between Tamworth Borough Council and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust which supports the volunteers.
ANTI-SOCIAL drivers who use Tamworth’s roads, car parks and open spaces as racetracks could be banned after Tamworth Borough Council took the first step towards bringing in tough new powers to tackle the problem.
The Council’s Cabinet agreed at its meeting on Thursday to consult with the public on the introduction of the Public Space Protection Order to cover the entire borough, and will submit the results of the consultation to the Healthier & Safer Scrutiny Committee for examination on April 20. The committee will recommend implementation if the consultation is favourable.
The Order would apply to all public highways, car parks and land to which the public has access with the permission of the landowners and would allow police to break up gatherings of car cruisers and boy racers, issuing immediate penalties and even seizing the nuisance vehicles. Offenders could receive a Fixed Penalty of up to £100 or prosecution in the Magistrates Court, which could lead to a fine of up to £1,000.
If the Order is approved following public consultation and Scrutiny examination, it would be the first of its kind in the country. It would be implemented by Tamworth Borough Council, as a member of the Tamworth Community Safety Partnership, and enforced by the Police and designated Council officers, where appropriate.
Between August 2015 and January this year, Tamworth Police recorded 32 incidents of vehicle nuisance, including racing, cruising and noise. Hotspots for car gatherings in Tamworth include car parks on industrial estates, McDonalds in Watling Street, the B5000 in Glascote and various roundabouts throughout the borough.
A number of districts near to Tamworth have successful gained High Court injunctions to ban boy racers and car cruisers, leading to an increase in car nuisance coming to the borough from as far as Birmingham, Dudley and Walsall.
The cost of a High Court injunction is around £50,000, which is not a viable option for Tamworth Borough Council. If the PSPO goes ahead following public consultation, it would provide a cost-effective solution to the problem.
As part of the order, Tamworth Community Safety Partnership has also taken the opportunity to address issues of unauthorised vehicle repairs or storage on publically accessible land which cannot be dealt with through the existing environmental legislation where this activity causes danger or detriment to the amenities.
Cllr Stephen Doyle, Cabinet member for Communities & Public Health, said: “Unofficial and improperly-organised car cruising and other vehicle-related gatherings are a danger to the public, other road users and cause noise and wider environmental issues such as littering.
“The PSPO does allow for the organising of official meeting on land where the owner has given permission for such events to take place in a controlled environment with the required insurance and permits.
“The concern for passengers and drivers is also paramount – the risk of losing control of vehicles poses a danger to both themselves and others. The use of public road for racing, doughnutting and drifting also causes surface damage.
“We are pleased that Tamworth is leading the way in recognising the potential of the use of proportionate Public Space Protection Orders for this type of issue. The Orders are made to protect the safety, wellbeing and quality of life of all members of our communities.”
Inspector Jason Nadin from Tamworth Police said:
“In the last calendar year, Tamworth Police received more than 100 calls from the public in regard to car cruising and boy racer incidents of anti-social behaviour, with each incident directly affecting the community’s right to peace, respect and road safety.”
He added:
“Each incident has been responded to by officers and in the majority of cases the incidents have been very resource intensive as the gatherings have amounted to more than 200 cars.
“We are working in partnership regionally with West Midlands Police and Warwickshire Police under the banner of Operation Hercules, under which we have tried different tactics to date including Section 59 warnings, seizures of non-insured vehicles and dispersal orders. The application for a PSPO in partnership with Tamworth Borough Council is the next strand of our plan.”
There will now be a 28-day consultation period, during which members of the public and business owners will be able to comment on the plans. The consultation can be accessed online at http://www.tamworth.gov.uk/public-space-protection-orders
If the PSPO is implemented, it will be valid for three years, pending review.
POLICE in Tamworth are appealing for information following a burglary late yesterday afternoon in Quince, Tamworth.
The incident occurred at around 4:50 pm on Tuesday 1 March when two offenders approached the rear door of a house by the back garden.
The female occupant was threatened but unhurt and let shaken by the burglary.
At this early stage we do not have a detailed description of the suspects. Officers conducting routine house-to-house enquiries may have already visited local residents as they continue their investigation.
Anyone with any information or may have seen anything suspicious in the area yesterday should call Staffordshire Police on 101 quoting incident 571 of 1st March.
Police in attendance at the incident in Quince, Amington.
CONTRACTS have been exchanged with Redrow Homes on the former golf course site in Amington.
It is hoped that the sale contract will be finalised and the sale process will be completed within four to six weeks, following a period of due diligence.
The land was sold for an eight-figure sum – however, Redrow has requested that the precise amount remains confidential due to commercial reasons. Redrow is entitled to seek a commercial confidentiality clause, which means the company does not disclose the price it has paid for the site. Tamworth Borough Council is obliged to respect this confidentiality under Schedule 12A Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972.
The capital payment for the site will be made in tranches over the next three years and will be reflected in the Council’s accounts for the years in which the receipt is received.
The 60 hectare site off Eagle Drive in Amington has outline planning permission for the building of up to 1,100 homes, along with a new primary school, extension to Hodge Lane Local Nature Reserve and community woodland.
Redrow Homes has entered into a Section 106 agreement to ensure that the development provides benefits for the whole borough and its residents. The Section 106 agreement for the development of the former golf course site includes:
- 20% affordable homes on the site
- A new primary school providing 420 places, including nursery provision
- £3.5m for the improvement of secondary and sixth form education
- £1m towards the provision of a new leisure centre to serve all of Tamworth
- £500,000 for improved provision of sports pitches across the borough
- £500,000 for the creation of the new community woodland
- £1.2m for the creation and maintenance of public open space, natural play area and sustainable urban drainage system
- A new bus service running between the development and Tamworth town centre from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, in response to a large number of requests from Amington residents.
A total of 25 hectares – 42% of the site - will be developed as new public open space. The two main features are the seven-hectare extension to the Hodge Lane Local Nature Reserve and the creation of a new community woodland featuring oak trees with picnic areas, accessible trails, viewpoints and a community orchard, as well as a new 2.4 mile cycle and pedestrian network will be created through the site.
Redrow Homes will now have to submit a reserved matter planning application for the site, which will include details on the layout of the development and the design of the homes. The application is expected to be submitted later in the year.
Cllr Steve Claymore, Cabinet member for Economy & Education, said: “I am delighted that Tamworth Borough Council has been able to agree the sale of the former golf course site with local home building company Redrow. The development of this prestigious site will not only play a major part in meeting the growing housing need in Tamworth but also provide jobs and boost to the local and to the wider West Midlands economy.
“The sale of the land will also allow Tamworth Borough Council to safeguard vital services for the people of Tamworth in the longer term.”
TAMWORTH based Stormking Plastics has been acquired for an initial £27m by Solihull based windows manufacturer Epwin Group.
Stormking Plastics which has a number of sites on Amington Industrial Estate is a leading supplier of moulded GRP building components to the house building and construction industry.
Its product range includes dormers, chimneys, bay window roofs, entrance canopies, copings and support brackets, as well as similar time-saving components for the housebuilding and construction sector.
Storming, which employs over 200 staff, was founded in 1985 by Gary King and Barry Whitehall, both of whom had strong links with the building industry.
Both of the founders have recently retired after 30 years of running the business, having handed over day to day management to a new management team, who will now take the business forward as part of Epwin Group.
Jon Bednall, chief executive officer of Epwin Group, said: “I am delighted to announce the acquisition of Stormking Plastics and extend a warm welcome to the group to the team there.
“Stormking adds further to the group’s range of low maintenance building products as well as the plastics materials technologies that we can draw upon. The acquisition represents a further significant step in the development of the group and is expected to enhance earnings in 2016.”
Mark Stokes, managing director of Stormking Plastics, said: “Joining Epwin Group is excellent news for the future of Stormking Plastics, its employees and customers.
“It will enable us to build on the strong foundations laid over more than 30 years by Gary and Barry and gives us the opportunity to expand our product range as well as develop further routes to market in the future.”
THE £21.5m project to regenerate the Tinkers Green and Kerria estates by demolishing 136 houses, bungalows, flats and maisonettes and replacing them with 152 new homes has moved a step closer, after Cabinet agreed to tender for a developer to carry out the work.
Councillors also agreed that 100% of the new homes will be Council-owned homes for rent, in a drive to increase the amount of affordable rented property in the borough.
The tender process for interested developers will open in December and it is hoped that a developer will be appointed by May 2016.
Outline planning permission for the development of 108 new homes in Tinkers Green and 44 new homes and a convenience store at Kerria was granted earlier this year and will be one of the first new major council house building projects in Tamworth since the 1970s.
Studies showed that some housing on the two estates were unpopular with many residents, outdated and unsuitable for current housing need. Residents of the two estates have been consulted at every stage of the project and their views have been incorporated into the design of the planned new developments.
Cllr Steve Claymore, Cabinet member for Economy & Education, said: “The redevelopment of Tinkers Green and Kerria is the biggest council housing programme in Tamworth for a generation and gives us the opportunity to build modern homes fit for the 21st century.
“It is really good news for Tamworth, and particularly for these two areas of the town and I am delighted that we are now at the stage where we are ready to appoint a developer to make the project a reality.”
Members of the public are now being asked for their views on the naming of streets in the new development.
Should the regenerated developments have new street names, or should the old street names be kept? If they are to have new names, what should those names be?
Anyone with ideas or comments is asked to comment online at https://yourhometamworth.wordpress.com/ or email [email protected].
A MAN has been convicted of the manslaughter of a Tamworth man earlier this year.
Ross Gill, 24, of Faringdon, Tamworth, was due to stand trial at Stafford Crown Court this week but on Tuesday 27 October he pleaded guilty.
Emergency services were called to reports of a man lying in the road outside The Yews Farm, Haunton, near Tamworth, just before 12pm on Saturday 2 May.Today, Thursday 29 October, Gill was sentenced to six years and three months in prison for the manslaughter of Jason Grice.
Today, Thursday 29 October, Gill was sentenced to six years and three months in prison for the manslaughter of Jason Grice.
The man, 28-year-old Jason, had suffered significant head injuries and sadly died on Sunday 3 May at the University Hospital of Coventry.
The court heard how Jason sustained his injuries after leaving a blue Skoda Fabia, registration FE57 RUA, driven by Gill.
A detailed and thorough investigation by Staffordshire Police’s Major Investigation Department established that Gill was angry with Jason as he believed he had sold his property. He had asked Jason to store it for him at his home in Sorrel, Tamworth.
It is believed that as Jason was walking along Woodlands Road or Tamworth Road in Amington at around 11am on Saturday 2 May he was picked up by Gill. Jason then remained in the car where he was subjected to threatening and violent verbal abuse as Gill drove to Haunton where Jason sadly exited the car sustaining fatal injuries.
Two others, from Amington, Tamworth, were charged with kidnap and manslaughter but no evidence was offered at court against them. The two were therefore released without further action.
Detective Inspector Glyn Pattinson, who led the investigation, said: “We welcome the conclusion reached today. This incident saw a petty dispute over property escalate, resulting in disproportionate threats and violence towards the victim.
“Only the defendant truly know what happened in the car that day. However, our evidence indicates that whatever he said and did to Jason, it resulted in him leaving the car while it travelled at speed. Not something he would have willingly chosen to do.
“It is tragic that an argument over property led to the loss of a young man’s life.
“We hope today’s outcome brings some form of comfort and closure to Jason’s family.”
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