Local Headlines

Dudley councillors expressed their frustration about a mixed bag of performance results for the first quarter of the financial year.

Weston Park will host a brand-new harvest festival hoedown next month bringing a taste of Americana to the Shropshire/Staffordshire border.

A year-long programme of events and activities is being launched to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Wren’s Nest National Nature Reserve and highlight its globally important geology and heritage.

A by-election for St James’s ward will take place on Thursday 29 October, following the resignation of former councillor, Ivor Robinson.

The second British victim of a plane crash in the Swiss alps has been named as Lye businessman, Tony Hall.

People are invited to join a golden celebration as the iconic Himley Fireworks marks its 50th anniversary on Saturday 7 November.

A dream job for kids in Dudley has been announced this week, with an exciting new opportunity that will see lucky participants testing out the hottest new toys for Christmas 2026.

The leaders of various political groups of Dudley councillors have signed a statement calling for a protest scheduled to be held in the town on Saturday to be cancelled.

Dudley councillors will finally get to see a long-awaited report which a senior politician branded an ‘unresolved saga’.

A dance studio is a step closer to opening after council planners approved a move to new premises.

Walsall Arboretum is set to come alive this November as Walsall Council’s Fireworks Spectacular brings an evening of live entertainment, fairground fun, food and a spectacular fireworks display to the town.

The West Midlands Mayor and the Construction Industry Training Board have signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing to the development of a National Skills Academy for Construction in the West Midlands.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has become the sixth member of the Regional Independent Theatre Alliance, representing independent, large-scale regional theatres across the UK.

Sonia Kumar, MP for Dudley, has visited Provision House on Dudley High Street and is urging local businesses, supporters and residents to help the charity keep helping families across the borough.

More than 50 vehicles were checked at Merry Hill last week in an enforcement activity for school transport providers.

Plans to build a new primary school in Oldbury have been approved by councillors.

Reform bosses have approved the delivery of separate weekly food waste collections in Walsall.

Comedian and actor, Richard Blackwood will star as Long John Silver in this year’s Wolverhampton Grand Theatre pantomime, Treasure Island.

Controversial plans to open a new McDonald’s drive-thru in Cradley Heath have been approved by councillors.

Over 600 young children across Walsall have taken part in the free Summer Ready to Learn Adventure Passport scheme.

Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker is inviting people to help shape the future of the region’s bus network as he forges ahead with plans to bring buses back under public control.

The duo behind BlacBrik, officially launched their full-scale choreographic debut with an exclusive visit to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Waiting times in West Midlands hospital A&E times have improved slightly but are still below target.

Three new School Street schemes have been introduced outside schools across Walsall, helping to create safer roads for children and families during school drop-off and pick-up times. 

The leader of Birmingham City Council has issued an update on a possible bins strike breakthrough amid fears of future risks.

Waterways charity, Canal & River Trust, is inviting local people to the launch of a new, free canal art trail in Smethwick. The trail is a year-long community arts programme exploring the town's canals, heritage and communities.

Walsall Council has been accused of hypocrisy for including a new protected site within its future housing plans.

West Midlands Police has raised concerns over plans to change a shop’s licence after it was caught with illegal tobacco and selling alcohol without permission.

The Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Pete Lowe, is celebrating his first 100 days in office by highlighting the diversity, unity, pride and resilience of the people of Dudley which make the borough a truly bostin community.

Dudley councillors with responsibility for children’s services will get extra checks into their background after cabinet members agreed government guidelines.

Residents in Walsall will be issued two new bins for food waste next year despite calls for alternative options.

Plans to extend two schools in Wolverhampton to cope with rising pupil numbers have been approved.

Police have arrested a man and seized a knife after a fight between two men was reported in Victoria Street in Wolverhampton city centre.

Almost 12,000 illegal cigarettes and more than 3kg of hand-rolling tobacco worth an estimated £13,000 have been seized following a coordinated operation targeting the illicit tobacco trade in Walsall.

Police have arrested a suspected drink-driver after a car crashed into a tree in Halesowen yesterday morning.

Dudley Council has launched the first formal business board in the West Midlands, creating a new partnership with the private sector to help drive economic growth in the borough.

Two men have been sentenced in connection with a fraud case which saw the duo profit hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Touring Pantos return for a third year to West Bromwich Town Hall with a GIANT fun-filled run of Jack and the Beanstalk on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 December.

Dudley Council is set to spend more than a million pounds on new street cleaning vehicles to replace ageing machines.

Dudley Council is moving into the second phase of a study which could lead to new cycling facilities including a velodrome.

Dudley Council marked Emergency Services Day by lighting up the Council House in blue in tribute to the vital role the emergency services play in protecting and supporting communities.

A planning application has been submitted asking for permission to convert the former Express and Star printing works in Tower Street, Wolverhampton, into a new seven-court Wolves Padel Centre.

Dudley Council has denied it spends too much money on children’s services outside the borough when funds should be used closer to home.

A man has been arrested as part of an investigation into a theft from an elderly man in Dudley. 

A Dudley councillor has contacted a borough school after parents raised concerns over the cost of meals which, in some cases, have risen by as much as 50%.

A well-known historic Dudley landmark building could be converted into apartments if council planners give their blessing.

A massive new leisure development in Dudley took a step closer after planners decided an environmental impact report was not required.

A Walsall curry house which employed an illegal worker is applying for a new licence.

Dudley Zoo and Castle is thanking the local community for its continued support by offering discounted admission during September.

Sandwell Council has launched a major enforcement operation to tackle persistent fly-tipping at Forge Lane and Park Lane.

The family of a Willenhall toddler has secured an out-of-court settlement after a Wolverhampton hospital apologised for failing to give him adequate pain relief in the days before he died.

West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker has pulled together an initial £500,000 employment support package to help JLR workers taking voluntary redundancy find new jobs.

Police have seized multiple weapons following proactive patrols across the force area.

Dudley councillors are set to debate tough new rules for homes in multiple occupation (HMOs) at an extraordinary meeting.

Police want to speak to three men and a woman, after a bank card and a mobile phone were taken at a venue in Hurst Street, Birmingham.

Illegal goods worth more than £11,000 have been seized from two shops in Walsall following a joint operation involving Walsall Trading Standards and West Midlands Police.

Residents, businesses and community organisations are being invited to help shape a new vision for Dudley Council.

Sandwell council refused to let a vulnerable mother have her representative present at an important meeting and made serious and unsubstantiated allegations about both of them during an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

A 20 year-old man’s been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a shooting in Bartley Green on Sunday.