Learning Disability Week – invitation…

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Invitation for anyone with learning disabilities and their families/ carers and friends.

Celebrate Learning Disability Week on Monday the 17th of June, at Perdiswell Leisure Centre starting 10am until 12pm.
The theme for Learning Disabilities week: Do you see me?
Family, friends and carers are also invited. Meet and chat to your social work team and have fun with your friends.
YUMMY cakes to eat – cold juice to drink – lots of games and music and crafts.

Learning Disability Week is celebrated annually in the third week of June, and this year it takes place from June 17 to 23. The week aims to educate, spread awareness, and increase understanding of learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities are twice as likely to experience low self-esteem and self-confidence, social exclusion, and bullying that others don’t face, leading to mental health issues. Being diagnosed with a learning disability does not mean a person is not intelligent. It means they need extra support and specialized care to overcome the challenges they face in a particular subject area and learn in their unique way.

Find out more about Learning Disability Week on the Mencap website here: Learning Disability Week 2024 | Mencap

Inclusive cycling sessions at Sanders Park

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Come along to our inclusive cycling sessions specifically for individuals, groups and families with SEND.

We have a variety of specially adapted bikes and trikes which you’ll be able to access at Sanders Park on a monthly basis starting on Saturday 18th May.

Working in partnership with Midland Mencap there will be experienced staff supporting to get the right bike for you to ride independently or with a parent or carer.

More information is attached where you can get in touch with any questions you may have.

Road Closure notice: De Wyche Road 11/06/2024

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WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

PUBLIC NOTICE

Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984

(U42021 De Wyche Road, Wychbold) (Temporary Closure) Order 2024

Proposed Order: to close that part of U42021 De Wyche Road from its junction with U42016 Chequers Lane to its junction with U42018 St. Richards Road.

Reason: New Vehicle Crossing (Dropped Kerb) by WCC.

Exemptions: to permit access to any land or premises fronting the highway affected where there is no other form of access; and to allow the works to be undertaken.

Alternative route: U42016 Chequers Lane, U42018 St Richards Road and vice versa.

Maximum duration: 18 Months.  Anticipated duration: 4 days Commencing: 11 June 2024

 

Have your say on our Green Spaces

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We would like to improve some of the natural areas around Wychbold.

Dodderhill Parish Council and the Orchard & Allotments Working Party are working together to seek residents’ views to help prioritise improvements to some of our natural areas with the aim of providing opportunities for all to enjoy our green spaces.

This is your chance to have a say on the proposed improvements, including the community orchard.

To complete a short survey please click on this link : https://forms.office.com/e/AeASb2UwXU?origin=lprLink

All responses will be anonymised and no contact details kept. For more information please see our Privacy Policy.

Note: if you have already completed a paper survey about this on your doorstep – thank you!  Please do not complete this online survey or we will have duplicate results.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please email

All responses to be submitted by Saturday 18th May. Many thanks for taking part.

Early notice of road closure: De Wyche Road

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WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

PUBLIC NOTICE

Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984

(U42021 De Wyche Road, Wychbold) (Temporary Closure) Order 2024

Proposed Order: to close that part of U42021 De Wyche Road from its junction with U42016 Chequers Lane to its junction with U42018 St. Richards Road.

Reason: New Vehicle Crossing (Dropped Kerb) by WCC.

Exemptions: to permit access to any land or premises fronting the highway affected where there is no other form of access; and to allow the works to be undertaken.

Diversion: U42016 Chequers Lane, U42018 St Richards Road and vice versa.

Maximum duration: 18 Months.  Anticipated duration: 4 days Commencing: 11 June 2024

Click here to see the Diversion route

 

Have your say on Air Quality

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Have your say in Worcestershire-wide Air Quality Survey

Residents across the County are being encouraged to take part in an air quality survey being conducted by Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) before it ends in early May.

The survey, which is being delivered in partnership with Worcestershire County Council’s Public Health Team, aims to gather valuable insights from the community to further enhance air quality monitoring and management efforts.

This comes in conjunction with a recent installation of 26 real-time air quality monitors located across the county as part of a three-year DEFRA-funded project to improve air quality in Worcestershire.

The survey will help WRS identify hotspots and ensure that their air quality initiatives align with the needs and priorities of the community, including health.

The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and closes at 11pm on Sunday 12th May. Residents can share their views by visiting www.worcsregservices.gov.uk/airquality .

Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services, Simon Wilkes, said: “We want to understand the motivations behind residents’ and visitors’ behaviour. This knowledge informs our efforts to create a healthier living environment for everyone in Worcestershire. Please take a moment to complete our survey and share your views before the survey ends in May. Your input matters as we look to shape our policies alongside partners in Public Health and local authorities in Worcestershire.”

The survey covers various aspects of air quality, including perceptions, concerns, and suggestions for improvement. By actively participating, residents can contribute to shaping future air quality policies and initiatives tailored to meet the needs of the community.

For more information about the survey or the DEFRA project, please contact WRS Enquiries .

Local nature survey – please take part.

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Rebecca Lashley, the Principal Nature Recovery Officer at Worcestershire County Council has been in touch asking us to get involved in a local nature survey. She writes:

“Some students here (from America) on an exchange with the University of Worcester are running an online survey on people’s experience and perceptions of accessing nature and greenspace in their local area. They will produce a summary report that will be helpful in informing the preparation of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy as we consider how access to nature and health and wellbeing benefits can be delivered alongside habitat and species conservation measures.

The survey is designed for individuals to complete, reporting on their own personal experiences and perceptions. The survey will be open until 16th April and should take 5-10 minutes to complete.”

Click here for the survey: https://wpi.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eWNIXYaOh4aFxQy

Disability Sailing

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Bromsgrove District Council is working in partnership with Aztec Adventure and Upton Warren Sailing Club to deliver a Disability Sailing project.

The first session is on Monday 22nd April, all abilities and ages can be catered for using a variety of boats we have available to get people out on the water safely with qualified instructors and volunteers.

Please follow the link below for more information and how to book, and forward to others who would benefit.

Disability Sailing – bromsgrove.gov.uk

Working in partnership with Upton Warren Sailing Club and Aztec Upton Warren, our sessions are delivered by qualified RYA Instructors and volunteers who do a fantastic job for us!

With no experience necessary and a range of equipment and boats available, with adaptions for different people, this enables absolutely anyone to go sailing.

Sessions will take place at Aztec Upton Warren Worcester Rd, Bromsgrove B61 7ER. The first session of the year is on Monday 22nd April and places are available to book now via the link below. There will be 45 min timeslots between 5:30pm-7:30pm and will cost £4.50 per session.

RYA Sailability (cinolla.com)

Village Hall access road re-opened. Thank you Martin!

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After months of worsening potholes on the access road to Wychbold Village Hall in Wychavon, Worcestershire, Dodderhill Parish Council had to take the difficult decision to close the road. The risk of injury to people, dogs, cars, bicycles and other vehicles was just too great.

The Parish Council was in the middle of obtaining quotes for repairs when Martin Phillips, in his liaison role for the contractors on the Smart Motorway Programme (SMP) Alliance National Emergency Area Retrofit M5 J4a to 6 scheme contacted one of the councillors with regard to a member of the Parish’s concerns about future motorway works and mentioned the Social Value policy they have when working in an area.

To our amazement and without fuss, the job was done within a few days.  The road was swept, the drains were cleared, the potholes and the areas around them were excavated and new tarmac was laid.  The council and residents were amazed at the thoroughness of the job and the excellent end result.

That the road is open once again is thanks to the SMP Alliance Partners bmJV and Forkers Ltd and the M5 J5 Improvement Scheme contractors, Heidelberg Materials (with tarmac donated by Midland Quarry Products).  Residents, visitors and workmen who need to use transport can once again use the access road to park by our village hall and get to the playing fields and park.  Very many thanks to everyone  who made this possible and saved the council (and residents) thousands of pounds, which can now be spent on other projects to improve the community.

Renewed access road to park

Renewed access road to park

IMG 4915

Parish Councillors thanking Martin Phillips for the repairs. 

M5 National Emergency Area Retrofit

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National Emergency Area Retrofit – work to start on the M1 and M5 in the next few weeks.

National Highways is delivering a government commitment to add more than 150 more emergency areas to motorways across the country.

Several sections of the M1 and M5 are being upgraded. The programme of work will start from 2 April 2024, and is expected to be complete by March 2025.

Work to build additional emergency areas is already underway on the M1 between junctions 32 to 35a in South Yorkshire and junctions 30 to 31 in Derbyshire, and on the M6 junctions 21a to 26 in Cheshire.

In the Midlands over the coming months work will also start on:

  • M1 between junctions 23A and 25 in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, due to start 10 April 2024.
  • M1 between junctions 28 and 30 in Derbyshire, due to start 10 April 2024.
  • M5 between junctions 4A and 6 in Worcestershire, due to start 18 April 2024.
  • M1 between junctions 16 and 19 in Northamptonshire, due to start 7 May 2024.

Dates are subject to change so keep checking information about the upgrade and the roadworks at www.nationalhighways.co.uk/emergency-areas.

National Highways aim to work as efficiently as possible and keep disruption to a minimum, also coordinating with other road upgrade projects being delivered in the area. They are in close contact with local authorities and nearby projects through a coordinated and collaborative approach to minimise the impact of roadworks as far as practicable across this busy section of the motorway network.

To carry out the work safely, lane one (left lane), in sections, on the motorways listed will be closed throughout construction. Lanes two, three and four will remain open with a 50mph speed limit in place.

The traffic management for the working areas will be installed overnight when the traffic flows are quieter. National Highways doe their best to minimise disruption and apologise in advance for any inconvenience these works may cause.

Existing emergency areas through roadworks will remain open wherever possible. At limited locations where it is necessary to temporarily close an emergency area, an alternative emergency area will be provided nearby and clearly signed.

The new emergency area work will mainly be carried out Mondays to Fridays from 7am to 7pm. There will be occasions when lanes, slip roads or the carriageway between junctions will be closed for deliveries to the work sites and throughout construction, but this will be overnight and at weekend when traffic flows are at their lowest. Should there be a need to close overnight there will be clearly signed diversion routes in place.

Please do plan your journeys and check before you travel via: Road closure report – National Highways.

Emergency areas provide a place to stop in an emergency if drivers cannot exit the motorway or stop at a motorway service area. They are clearly signed at regular intervals along the motorway and have bright orange road surfaces to help identify them. At 100 metres long, they have plenty of space for even the largest lorry plus a recovery vehicle and they are equipped with emergency telephones linking directly to our control rooms to get help on the way quickly.

You can find out more about what to do if your vehicle breaks down on the motorway here: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/road-safety/breakdowns

You can visit Driving on the motorways – National Highways for more details on what to do in the event of an emergency, and how to use an emergency area.

This investment in extra emergency areas, along with technology like stopped vehicle detection, more signs, and clear advice about all lane running motorways online and in an updated Highway Code, will help road users feel safe and be safer on our roads.

Through all the work National Highways are doing they are determined to further improve public confidence in driving on the motorways, and to continue to build and operate one of the safest and best performing road networks in the world.

For more information you can follow National Highways @HighwaysEMIDS and https://www.facebook.com/HighwaysEMids/