Latest news with #PatrickHarley
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Hopes for campaign to bring Dudley Football Club back home
There's nothing like playing in front of a home crowd – but for Dudley Football Club, it hasn't happened for 40 directors say finding a permanent home in the borough is "vital", while Dudley Council leader Patrick Harley said a potential site for the club has been identified. The team last played in the borough in 1985 but had to move out when a crater appeared on the pitch at Dudley Sports Centre. They now play seven miles (11.2km) away at Sporting Khalsa's ground in FC, a non-league team also known as the Robbins, was founded in 1888 and plays in the Midland Premier League. 'We could easily give up' Stephen Austin, one of the club's directors, said there have been many failed attempts over the years to move the club back to Dudley. "A return to Dudley is something we all want and need," he said."We've been in discussions for 40 years. We've been close on a number of occasions and not managed to get over the line so cautious is where we are."We have to remain optimistic because if not, we could easily give up."Dudley's connection to the sport is strong with footballer Duncan Edwards represented with a statue in the town was from Dudley and went on to play for Manchester United and England before his death in the Munich air disaster, aged just 21. Harley, leader of the Conservative-run council, said its officers were in talks with the club – and a potential site for the team has been identified."I think we're way closer now than we have been for many years," he said."There are lots of hurdles to overcome and we have to make sure that the council is not financially threatened by any proposed deal."It'll bring a sense of purpose to the area, it would bring a good morale boost." Former Dudley MP Marco Longhi raised the campaign in the House of Commons last year where it got the backing of the then Conservative culture secretary Lucy Sonia Kumar, the town's Labour MP, has started a petition to bring Dudley FC home."I'm very positive, we've got some things coming up in the pipeline and hopefully there is a place for Dudley to come back to," she said."It's not just about going to see the game for it's spirit, but what it will do for the economy." The club finished sixth place in the Midland Football League and is currently gearing up for the JW hunt charity cup on 5 June. Matty Lovatt, first team manager, said being back in Dudley would help with extra funding for the club's youth development."Having been here seven years, I feel like an adopted Dudley man," he said. "I feel attached to the club and I feel their pain. It's only right for the people that they've got a ground back in their own town." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Leader orders new green belt review
Dudley Council is to carry out a fresh review of green belt land across the borough to tackle questions from planning inspectors. Council leader, Cllr Patrick Harley, has ordered the review to prove there is none of the controversial grey belt in the borough which the Labour government says can be used for house building. The council's local plan for issues including how the authority will approve applications for new homes was submitted to the government for approval in February. The government set Dudley a target of approving 1,594 new homes per year; a target Cllr Harley says is unachievable 'even if we allocated all green belt land, greenfield and brownfield sites'. One of Labour's solutions is to use so-called grey belt land, which is green belt that has previously been developed or does not contribute to stopping towns merging together or preserving the character of a town. At April's meeting of Dudley Council, Cllr Harley said: 'Let's kill the myth on grey belt, we have no real grey belt in Dudley, however I have authorised another review of our green belt. 'That is because I believe with our plan now at the inspectors, one of the first things they will ask is 'have you done enough to satisfy you have grey belt – or don't?'. 'I believe when that work is concluded that it will simply say 'you have no grey belt and therefore our plan is sound.' The Dudley Local Plan proposes 10,470 new homes in the borough by 2041 with 97 percent built on brownfield land. The council is more hopeful of approval for its plan later this year after a decision by inspectors to approve the Wirral Local Plan which had a brownfield only strategy. Cllr Harley said: 'The news of the Wirral Plan is massive for us, as we now have a precedent. 'It shows that a brownfield first approach, which protects the green belt from development, can pass the test and get over the line. 'It has been approved despite being nearly 3,000 short of the government's recommended figure for the amount of houses being built there.' 'Ours is nowhere near that – we are only around 700 short.'
BBC News
27-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Campaign to save Dudley's Crystal Gateway dementia centre
Families are campaigning to save a "lifeline" dementia centre which is set to Council axed Crystal Gateway Dementia Centre in Amblecote last month as part of its budget to save £500,000 a year. The centre offers an outreach service to those living with dementia and their carers, as well as art, knitting and choir sessions for an hourly of people gathered outside the purpose-built centre to call on the council to reverse its decision and a petition has so far attracted 2,360 signatures. Leader of the Conservative-run council Patrick Harley said the authority would move to a model used by Wiltshire Council where services are provided in the said the decision was tough as his mother and 75-year-old uncle, Bob Beattie, were living with the Beattie's wife Marilyn said she went to Crystal Gateway when she reached "crisis point" and they had been using the service for three years."I'm distraught, it has been a haven. The only other options are two centres but one is £80 a day and the other is £40 a day."I want to know that I can take Bob there, he's happy and stimulated, and I can have some 'me time'." 'Extremely difficult' The authority has faced financial challenges and approved £42m of savings as part of its five-year strategy last said: "I believe that families will come round to accepting that there are better options than just a building such as the Crystal Gateway."It's extremely difficult and there's a personal attachment there with several family members going through this awful disease."I fully understand the concerns of the users but I am convinced, having had detailed briefings, that this is a better way."Families who use the centre said they only found out days before the decision was made at a full council meeting on 24 February. Harley said the budget proposals were "very much well publicised and consulted upon". Lisa McDonnell, whose dad Howard uses the service, started a petition to persuade the council to reverse its decision."We are devastated, as are the other users, carers and employees. Everyone is so devoted to the place," she said."For my parents it has been a lifeline as my dad has gone downhill. We need to put a stop to the closure. The only criticism I have is that not enough people know about it."Labour's Cat Eccles, MP for Stourbridge and Dudley, called for the decision to be said: "I think this should be put on hold and spread that word that this wonderful facility is here to support local people." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
How much council tax will I pay in the Black Country?
Council tax charges are set to rise across the Black Country in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Sandwell councils laid out their plans in budget meetings this four councils agreed to increase council tax by the maximum 4.99% and approved millions of pounds of spending and cuts, with leaders citing significant financial has promised £2bn of funding for English councils in the year from April 2025, an extra £700m on top of the £1.3bn announced in October's Budget. Dudley Conservative-run Dudley Council approved £42m of savings as part of its five-year increase means an average band D house will pay £1.94 extra per council will close one of its three dementia hubs, the Crystal Gateway, to save £500,000 per year. Green waste fees will also increase from £36 to £ the Sycamore Adventure Centre in Upper Gornal was saved from the cuts after being under threat."It has been a tough time for all councils in the UK, we are all overspending on adult social care and children's social care," Conservative leader Patrick Harley said."We have put together a package of measures which will see us through to 2030." Wolverhampton The Labour-run council has outlined £40.7m of savings over a three-year council tax rise means a band D household will pay £1.92 extra per approved the closure of shop mobility and a significant reduction in its community events council will also remove security staff from Wolverhampton and Bilston markets to save £91, Stephen Simkins said the authority would crack down on fly tipping and spend an extra £500,000 to help fix potholes and maintain highways. Sandwell Labour-run Sandwell Council outlined savings of £19m to balance the 2025/26 will pay an extra £2 per week in council tax in a band D council will look to close the Harry Mitchell Leisure Centre, transfer Hadley Stadium to a third party and develop a new operating model for Tipton Sports will also increase charges for meals on wheels, burials and cremation, introduce higher green waste subscription fees and switch to alternate weekly collections of general waste and on BBC Radio WM this month, leader Kerrie Carmichael said: "I understand that council tax is a bugbear for most people but we do a lot with it in Sandwell."We've protected our library services, they are really important to us." Walsall Conservative-run Walsall Council made almost £30m of savings to set a balanced budget for 2025/ council tax increase amounts to an extra £1.99 per week for a band D authority approved cuts to funding for Christmas lights and a 20% increase to bulky waste collection charges will also go up by 20%, which will save the council £70, council scrapped plans to close and relocate the leather council leader Mark Statham admitted it was not sustainable to keep raising council tax and called for a "fair, multi-year government settlement in future years"."The government must address funding for local authorities to enable councils to meet rising demand, particularly in social care," he said. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tax rises and budget cuts defended by council leader
Tough budget decisions, including a 4.99% council tax hike, were necessary to balance the books, a council leader said. Dudley Council's tax rise is the maximum allowed without a referendum. The budget also contains 157 savings in services including youth clubs and support for elderly and vulnerable people. "The local authority cannot continue to cover and do everything, and we cannot continue to offer gold-plated services," said Conservative leader Patrick Harley. The budget was passed on Monday night and was part of the council's five-year strategy to save £42m. The council had to make tough decisions to avoid any risk of effective bankruptcy and commissioners taking over, Harley said. "If we don't cut our cloth accordingly, then we won't be able to make these decisions [ourselves], as hard as they are. I will not be making them – a commissioner will," he told BBC Radio WM. Higher council rents and charges for collecting green waste, plus measures such as closing the Crystal Gateway dementia hub, are on the cards for residents. Labour councillor Shaukat Ali said the measures would "push many to the brink". Labour councillors had proposed an amendment to the budget, which aimed to find £2.8m to keep some services open by putting less into reserves and scrapping new senior officer jobs, but this was rejected. Regarding the dementia hub closing down, Harley said fewer people were attending such centres after the Covid pandemic and projects that offered activities such as gardening could be more effective. Regarding the green waste charges, which will increase from £36 to £52 per year, he said the previous charges had still left a deficit of £1.5m for the service. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Council proposes 5% tax rise to help balance books Residents' fears of bleak future with council cuts Why do councils go bust and what happens when they do? Dudley Council
