Sandwell Liberal Democrats have submitted the following comments on the West Bromwich Masterplan. This masterplan will form the basis plans to regenerate West Bromwich town centre. They will decide what Sandwell Council does in the town and also how funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority, the Government Towns Fund, and the Future High Streets Fund will be used. The plans include some interesting ideas, and another attempt to add some culture to attract people into the town, but also includes what can only be described as planning jargon that says nothing. We will need to see more detail on those, and how some of the ideas will be implemented to see if they are likely to succeed.

Although the consultation on the plans has closed, you can view the plans here:

West Bromwich Town Centre - Interim Planning Statement and Masterplan 2021

Conversion therapy should have been banned years ago. It is offensive, abusive and dangerous.
Sexual orientation or gender identity is not a problem to be treated and ‘cured’. It’s who we are.
Back the Liberal Democrat campaign for an immediate ban on all forms of conversion therapy by signing our petition online today: LibDems.org.uk/conversion

Lib Dems gain ‘safe’ Conservative seat in by-election win

The Liberal Democrats scored a stunning parliamentary by-election victory over the Conservatives on 17 June.
In Chesham & Amersham, Buckinghamshire, Lib Dem Sarah Green overturned a Conservative majority of 16,000 to become the new MP - with a 25% swing in the vote.

Chair of Sandwell Lib Dems, Mark Smith, said: “This result proves that, across large parts of the country, the Liberal Democrats are the challengers. We can take on this Conservative Government - and beat them. Join our winning team today.”

Although we regret the loss of hospital services, and especially the loss of A&E cover for West Bromwich, this application would make immediate use of the site and provide some welcome services such as affordable housing and a creche. However, we feel the application should not be approved unless some changes are made to the plans.

Sandwell Liberal Democrats are fielding candidates in ten wards for the local Sandwell Council Elections on Thursday 6 May. They will listen to local residents, represent all sections of the community in their wards, and try to help solve local problems.
Meet your candidates and what our manifesto is for Sandwell.

Jenny Wilkinson, our Liberal Democrat candidate for West Midlands Mayor, was born and bred in the West Midlands and is raising her own family here. She is actively involved in her local community, as a school Governor, Trustee of a charity, which runs events to support Jenny’s local library, and on the committee of the local “Friends of the park” group. You can read more about Jenny on her official website.

We join the nation in mourning the passing of His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh. Our first thoughts are with his beloved wife, our Queen, and other members of the Royal Family who will feel the loss most keenly, especially in the months and years ahead. They will certainly be going through a painful grieving process.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has officially launched the Liberal Democrats Local Elections campaign in England. He has called on voters to back a Liberal Democrat local champion in May.

Liberal Democrats have announced plans for a fairer, greener more caring country where there is opportunity for all. The party announced plans for a locally-led green transition, backed by £48bn pounds of investment. Leader Ed Davey also called on the government to help struggling small businesses by slashing national insurance contributions (NICs) for small firms by quadrupling the employment allowance from £4,000 to £16,000.

As many residents in the area are aware, we have received information about the significance of the archaeological remains under the Peak House Farm land off Wilderness Lane. The developer would have to pay for the cost of any archaeological investigation of the site, if Sandwell Council made it a condition of any planning application. (People should remember that at the moment HIMOR have not submitted a planning application, just submitted a request that the land be considered for housing as part of the Black Country Plan, and Sandwell's planning officers have said it is unlikely to be included in the plan. However, they also then seem to expect the developer to appeal to the Secretary of State, despite it being a protected site.)

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