Coventry Early Help Partnership
This is a double launch event to celebrate work to support children, young people and families.
The programme is described in:
https://www.coventry.gov.uk/news/article/4770/double-launch-event-to-celebrate-work-to-support-children-young-people-and-families
Work on converting Woodlands School is due to start soon so that the site can be converted into a SENDS school which will hopefully be ready for pupils by September 2025.
The demolition of some of the buildings is expected to begin this month and completed by the new year. Concurrently, other buildings not due for demolition will be refurbished internally to be completed by March 2024. The new building work will be completed in time for the school to open in September 2025.
Artist’s impression of new school.
Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills said: “We want every child in Coventry to have access to the best education. So, when the Woodlands Academy site was returned to the Council, we saw it as an opportunity to respond to parents’ wishes and invest in a new single site for Woodfield school, which currently operates on two split sites.”
“Moving to one new site will provide a future-proofed, fit for purpose educational environment, offering a full range of facilities, including sports amenities, to learners. It will also mean we can create more efficient and improved facilities with purpose designed buildings providing greatly improved facilities for staff and pupils.”
“Replacing old school buildings with modern, energy-efficient facilities will also help us to reduce the carbon footprint of the building.”
Boots the Chemist in Jardine Crescent Due to Close this Autumn
Boots is closing 300 of its UK pharmacies. The branch in Jardine Crescent serves the community of Tile Hill but is unfortunately included in the programme of closures.
Many customers are unable to travel with ease to the nearest pharmacies and this move by Boots’ management could cause increased hardship. Taiwo Owatemi MP has launched a petition calling for the decision to be reversed.
The URL leads to the Petition: bit.ly/3QoaUAB
If the closure cannot be prevented, the empty unit may be taken over by another chain of pharmacies OR the Health Centre adjacent may decide to host a Pharmacy if they have room. If neither alternative is feasible, then residents would have to travel to have their prescriptions honoured.
… and now we’ve seen it all.
Spotted in Jardine Crescent in front of The Square – a novel way of parking:
The Ponderosa Wall - Wall Art (22nd July 2023)
Following a delay of two years, Tile Hill Community Partnership has obtained funding to resume painting the Ponderosa Wall from end to end. Work will begin as soon as we have a sunny day.
Residents who took part in the 2020 Tile Hill People and Places survey and who indicated that they would like to help the artists, are invited to contact 07741482823 to offer their time.
Severn Trent Water's lead service pipes replacement programme 2023
Update on progress. STW will be initially replacing lead pipes in the housing area between Torrington Avenue and Tile Hill Lane. Our Lady of the Assumption has offered to host sessions for residents to learn more about the programme of replacement and how it will affect them. The dates of these sessions to be announced.
Rise in Crime in Tile Hill North Crackdown by WM Police
Between Saturday, June 10, and Tuesday, June 13. four people were arrested as part of a targeted crackdown on antisocial behaviour in Tile Hill North. Officers from the local neighbourhood team worked with specialist teams from across West Midlands Police to address community concerns in Tile Hill.
The partnership involved the force’s Gangs’ unit, dog handlers and Safer Travel team. It formed after local residents reported an increase in antisocial behaviour and a rise in neighbourhood crime. Officers have so far conducted two operations. These operations resulted in the arrests of a 53-year old man, a 32 year-old woman, a 27-year old man and a 43-year old man for various crimes: robbery, possession of offensive weapons, taking a vehicle without consent, possession with intent to supply a Class A drug and driving without insurance.
Two of those arrested have already appeared at Coventry Magistrates Court and have been remanded until July.
Inspector Jerome Moran said: “This is a great example of the type of results we get when we work with the local community to address local issues that affect them. We would encourage the public to keep talking to us about issues that they are concerned about so we can continue to carry out this type of targeted activity in local areas.”
Concerns related to criminal activity can be reported to the force via Live Chat on the website or call 101. Information can also be passed to Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555 111.
Considerate Driver?
The driver of this car is in contravention of Rule 243 of the Highway Code: "DO NOT stop or park: ... where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles ... and ... on a bend ... Nice one!
Coronation Party on the Green, 8th May 2023
THCP’s Coronation Party on the Green took place on Monday 8th May from 11am – 4pm. Because it rained on and off, the event was held in the Library and in the Church of the Seventh Day Adventists. A picnic snack lunch and a free raffle took place under canvas on the grass. Nemed, a Children’s Entertainer, kept the children spellbound in the Library while two face-painters decorated a seemingly never-ending stream of children.
Over four hundred adults and their children attended. The organisers gathered hundreds of completed questionnaires which are currently being analysed. The results will be used to plan future ways in which the lives of the Tile Hill Community can be enhanced.
The organisers wish to thank Bowmer + Kirkland, and Balfour Beatty for providing a huge number of free novelty gifts. TESCOs provided soft drinks and the children at Finham 2 assembled five hundred picnic bags.
The event was supported by volunteers from the University of Warwick who ably erected marquees and supervised craft sessions, by a Girl Guide leader, children from Finham 2, Coventry City Park Rangers, by Jardine Crescent Library staff and by committee members of the THCP planning group and stakeholders’ group.
Two volunteers/employees from the Family Mosaic Hub also led craft sessions whilst keeping the peace amongst children impatiently waiting for their faces to be painted. Their hard work was rewarded by smiling faces.
The Community Resilience Team successfully applied for a grant from Digbeth Dining to financially support the event.
The organisers are now in discussion about repeating the event in 2024 with the date being carefully chosen to avoid inclement weather.
Bushbery Ave. Fly-Tippers Strike Again
This time, the fly-tipper chose a gateway. The rubbish was tipped over the May-Bank Holiday weekend and was removed on 2nd May by Citizen Housing.
Residents are asked to report any future incidents to Citizen housing on 0300 790 6555.
Fly-Tipping in woods adjacent to Pinnock Place
21st April 2023. Old sofas, furniture, arm chairs and plastic bags were fly-tipped in woods adjacent to Tile Hill Lane and Bushbery Ave. The rubbish was removed by the City Council at a cost to council tax-paying residents. This type of tipping is anti-social and illegal.
We hope that those responsible will wise up and, in future, take their unwanted rubbish to the Public Amenity Site behind Coventry’s Incinerator on London Rd. The site takes household rubbish free of charge.
At the moment, it is necessary to book an appointment on-line to take unwanted household goods to the site. This can be easily done using the Council’s on-line booking pages.
A new Pastor for Limbrick Wood Baptist Church (LWBC)
Welcome to Pastor John Bernard who took up his Ministry on 1st April. John was previously the Pastor of a Church in Langley, Slough for 5 years. He and his wife, Cloda (a nurse specialising in dermatology), are now living in the Manse on Jardine Crescent.
Pastor John is acutely aware of the value of bringing a community together and he makes no distinction between people of faith and those who have yet to find faith; all are equally worthy of respect and friendship.
Severn Trent Water’s lead service pipes replacement programme 2023
All houses and flats built before 1970 have lead service pipes leading from the mains into kitchens. It is not health-giving to drink water which has stood in lead pipes overnight and during the day because of the possibility of lead leaching into the water. In the past, Severn Trent Water (STW) has aimed at preventing lead leachate by adding phosphate to mains water.
Up until now it has been the householder’s responsibility to pay for the replacement of lead pipes but few people have arranged for this work to be done, particularly if they rent their accommodation. Now STW has offered to pay for the replacement with plastic pipes. This is seen to be a good strategy. However, tenants will be required to agree to having a smart meter fitted to measure water usage. Although this could be advantageous for single occupancy houses and flats, costs may be more for large households.
STW offers advice on water usage economy and on financial help if householders find difficulty paying for their water supply.
Mugging outside CBS, Tile Hill Lane, Sunday 9th April
A man has been left shaken after an alleged mugging at knifepoint near Coventry Building Society in Tile Hill. A 999 call was made shortly after 3pm on Sunday (April 9). One of the suspects is believed to have been carrying a knife.
A full investigation has been launched by West Midlands Police.
West Midlands Police has stated that “we are in the early stages of our enquiries and anyone with information is asked to contact us via Live Chat on our website and quote log 1988 of 9/4/23.”
Ferrers Close flats to be demolished
On 27th March 2023, the Board of Directors of Citizen made the decision to demolish the three tower blocks in Ferrers Close. In a statement on its website, Citizen states “We’ve estimated the cost to carry out the improvements, and we believe that the significant level of investment required is not value for money or best use of resources. Therefore, after much consideration, our preferred option is to rehouse customers and demolish all three blocks. While this is our preferred option, it is important that we take customers’ views into account when we report our recommendations to Citizen’s Board.”
It has been reported that government money is not available to refurbish the blocks.
The flats have been suffering from several distresses: poor insulation, difficulties in heating rooms, mould which cannot be eradicated, flooding, poor ventilation and damp. The kitchens are too small and poorly equipped. Outside, the car parks and drives are in a poor state of repair. More importantly, several residents have experienced breathing difficulties caused by mould spores.
A planning application now follows and if approved, a phased housing programme for residents would begin in the summer. Citizen has stated that it would take 2 years to complete the rehousing. It is hoped that the flats will be emptied in a logical fashion so that residents still living there in winter months will not suffer from a reduction in temperature due to adjacent flats being empty.wasevern are nowinnocent residents