Communities are set to come together across the region to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.comand on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 the day that Nazi Germany surrendered to the allied forces in 1945 being 80 years since the end of the war in Europe communities are being encouraged to mark the occasion with street parties and other events while councils have been putting together their own plans to mark the anniversary residents and organisations have taken advantage of fees being waived by Stafford Council to close roads for street parties marking Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan A VE Day themed children’s workshop is taking place at the Ancient High House in Stafford town centre with the venue also holding an exhibition on the lives of local men telling their stories through medals and historical artefacts Izaak Walton Cottage will be holding a traditional afternoon tea set against the backdrop of wartime music on Sunday and Stafford Castle will be lit up red Victoria Park will be the venue for an afternoon of live music June 21 at St Mary’s Church in the centre of the county town to mark VE and VJ Days and pay tribute to those who gave their lives and made sacrifices in World War 2 said: “We know how much our residents respect and appreciate the sacrifices made to protect the freedoms that we enjoy today “It is great to see communities paying their own tributes - and I’m pleased we were able to help remove some of the costs and administration to enable commemorations with family friends and neighbours to go ahead safely.” the 80th anniversary of VE Day is set to be celebrated with a civic service a Fabulous 40s event and street parties to honour the Second World War generation Sandwell Council has organised events to remember the end of the Second World War in Europe and pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifices of all those who served The main civic event will take place on VE Day 80 next Thursday  outside Sandwell Council House in Oldbury Civic Square Starting with a live brass band from 10.30am the event will then have a service from 11am to 12pm led by Rev The event is free to attend and everyone is invited with a temporary road closure in place in Freeth Street for this event the annual Fabulous 40s event at Haden Hill House and Park in Cradley Heath will have a special VE Day 80 theme on Bank Holiday Monday The Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Syeda Khatun MBE said: “Five years ago we marked VE Day 75 from our homes during the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic we have an opportunity to meet again in our streets and communities “We will reflect on the sacrifices made by the Second World War generation to honour them for what they achieved and to celebrate their legacy “We will pay tribute to all those who gave so much to liberate Europe as well as Japan later in 1945 This includes everyone who fought overseas including people from around the Commonwealth everyone who served their country on the home front and all those who sadly never came home “We also wish everyone holding street parties and street meets a wonderful time celebrating with their families Lichfield City Council is hosting a VE Day event on Market Square on May 8 traditional fish and chips and ice cream on offer and people also invited to bring their own picnics and enjoy the entertainment from 1pm to 4pm The day will also feature a craft fayre on Minster Pool Walk from 10am to 4pm, while a photo exhibition with images from the period will be on display at the same time in Lichfield Guildhall There will also be information about the Lichfield Spitfire aircraft which was funded through subscriptions from the city’s residents It served during the Second World War before being shot down over Calais on February 3 1943 there will be a special weekend of celebrations at the National Memorial Arboretum taking inspiration from the street parties of 1945 with other activities include local services a pop-up event at the Staffordshire History Centre and activities in local libraries May 10 can see a flypast of Lancaster B1 PA474 part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is one of the only two remaining airworthy Lancaster Bombers out of the 7,377 that were built and the flypast is due around 1.30pm Libraries and Arts Manager at Staffordshire Council said: “It’s great that our libraries are joining in the celebrations with a whole host of family activities and entertainment There are no changes to bin collections - please put your bins out on the usual day The 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day is set to be celebrated in Sandwell next week with a civic service The main civic event will take place on VE Day 80 next Thursday (8 May) outside Sandwell Council House in Oldbury Civic Square the event will then have a service from 11am to 12noon led by Reverend Dwayne McQuaid A temporary road closure will be in place in Freeth Street for this event the annual Fabulous 40s event at Haden Hill House and Park in Cradley Heath will have a special VE Day 80 theme on Bank Holiday Monday (5 May) run by the council’s museums service Visitors can also explore the beautiful Victorian House which housed evacuees before they were sent to local homes during the Second World War The Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Syeda Khatun MBE said: “Five years ago we marked VE Day 75 from our homes during the first lockdown of the Covid pandemic joining together to celebrate VE Day 80.  “We will reflect on the sacrifices made by the Second World War generation “We will pay tribute to all those who gave so much to liberate Europe as well as Japan later in 1945 “We also wish everyone holding street parties and street meets a wonderful time celebrating with their families Sandwell Council waived road closure fees to encourage communities across the borough to take part in VE Day 80 street parties (Please note that applications for VE Day party road closures have now closed) To keep up to date with what’s happening in Sandwell for VE Day, visit the council’s VE Day 80 webpage and sign up for the council’s weekly newsletters The government website has information on national plans for VE Day 80. The VE-VJ Day 80 website has ideas and suggestions of how to get involved and celebrate 14 January, 2025 By An ongoing slope failure on a privately owned housing estate in Cradley Heath The landslide at Haden Cross Drive has broken through a 4m high retaining wall and has brought soil and clay debris onto the road The slippage has left some residents on the estate unable to access their driveways and prevented the use of the road by emergency service vehicles Storm Bert in November 2024 caused further material to spill onto the carriageway after residents first noticed the slope starting to fail around a year ago The problem has become progressively worse since then The new build estate is owned by developer and landowner Dunedin Homes and Dunedin Haden Cross Construction on the estate started in 2019 after planning permission for 53 dwellings was granted by Sandwell Council in 2018 The site is bordered by Halesowen Road to the west and a woodland area and slope to the east Records show that the eastern part of the site is occupied by a former railway cutting a 115m long retaining wall with a maximum retained height of 3.8m and length of 115m was built by Phi Group on behalf of Dunedin Homes to hold back the existing slope The original design for the slope stability was carried out by RSK Geotechnical Dunedin Haden Cross was first notified of slope instability issues on the estate in March 2024 “Since then [March] we have been working closely with our partners RSK Geotechnical who completed the original design for the slope's stability to try and understand the cause of the slippage and to prepare a remediation strategy and ascertain likely costs to make good the slope,” it told GE “Dunedin Haden Cross do not accept any liability for the slope failure and in the matter of costs and liability the insurers and loss adjusters have been notified and our solicitors are closely monitoring all correspondence.” for making the slope safe as it is the landowner The company added that emergency work to make the site safe began in December 2024 but was suspended when tips closed for Christmas Work to make the slope safe is expected to “recommence imminently” it has apologised to residents for the disruption to them “which is not of our making” In reviews under Dunedin Homes’ profile on Google users who claim to be residents on the estate have expressed anger and frustration at the company’s management of the ongoing landslide One described how the slope has “continued to descend” since the slippage was first identified This has left residents “living with a nightmare” no ability for emergency service vehicles to reach our properties and the constant threat of this huge mound coming crashing into our living room” Dunedin Haden Cross has said it has corresponded with residents “countless times by letter drop and emails” and provided them with “as much information as we can” The company added that it “fully understand[s] their fear anger and frustration in this matter as this is also felt by Dunedin Haden Cross” Sandwell Council said it has been in ongoing contact with the developer to check what action the management company responsible for maintenance and repair is taking to rectify the problem The council clarified that it does not have any legal jurisdiction or responsibility for the maintenance of infrastructure within the site Landslide expert and University of Hull vice chancellor Dave Petley said the slope failure at Cradley Heath is a “sad example of the ways in which unsuspecting and entirely blameless residents can be left in limbo by a failure to manage a slope appropriately” Writing in his landslide blog he observed that the landslide is a “slump” that was previously supported by a crib wall which extended through the area that has now failed He expressed surprise that sandbags left at the toe of the slump had been considered an adequate temporary measure to support a failing slope Petley also questioned why action was not taken sooner to stabilise the slope since Google Earth images of the site from as far back at March 2022 show cracking on the slope Google Earth imagery from 2022 shows tension cracks in the slope An RSK Geosciences spokesperson told GE that the company provided Dunedin Homes with a detailed global stability check of the crib wall at Haden Cross Drive in Cradley Heath in 2019 This included a specification of the soils to be used They said: “While not responsible for the works undertaken proactively engaged with Dunedin since the slippages were first reported to assist in identifying and rectifying the issues RSK has reiterated the importance of confirming that the construction method and materials conformed fully with the original design specification "RSK’s assistance has been provided with the safety of the residents of paramount importance RSK continues to engage with Dunedin in this regard.” Phi Group clarified to GE that it is not the designer of the failed embankment and that it was only engaged to construct a concrete crib retaining wall at the development “We understand the concerns of the residents and we are keeping in touch with the developer,” a spokesperson for the company said Want to read more? Subscribe to GE’s enewsletters and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn Tagged with: The May 2025 issue of Ground Engineering visits ground investigation sites on the French-Swiss border for Cern’s proposed new particle accelerator tunnel Network Rail has completed a £33M project to stabilise a “large and complex” active landslide that has been disrupting a railway line in County Durham for 150 years Kent County Council is seeking government support for the “vital reinstatement” of the A226 road in Swanscombe damaged by a chalk cliff collapse two years ago Construction of an £18M surface water drainage system at the Teesworks site one of Europe's largest brownfield developments Sign in or Register a new account to join the discussion Eos The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides A number of UK news sources (e.g. the BBC) have featured an ongoing highly disruptive landslide on a new build housing estate in Cradley Heath in Birmingham This is a sad example of the ways in which unsuspecting and entirely blameless residents can be left in limbo by a failure to manage a slope appropriately The site is located at [52.4668, -2.0572]. SWNS has put a video on Youtube with drone footage and interviews with the residents:- This still from the drone footage shows the situation well:- the unfailed slope at the top of the image appears to be supported with a crib wall this originally extended through the area that has now failed which the resident says in the video was part of an attempt to support the failing mass It is surprising to me that this was considered to be an adequate measure to take to support a failing slope showing the site (Haden Cross Drive in Cradley Heath) the slope appears to be supported by a gabian wall This image clearly shows that there was excavation into the slope to create the platform upon which the houses have been constructed:- There is a lower quality image from February 2021 At this stage the slope had been completed:- Is there a small failure at the location that has subsequently suffered the landslide it appears that the slope had started to fail again:- There is imagery from June 2023 that also seems to show tension cracks I wonder why action was not taken at this time The Express newspaper has a detailed article on this landslide, which to be fair is quite good. They report that the site is owned by Dunedin Haden Cross who reportedly accept responsibility for the site The article quotes a statement from Dunedin Haden Cross:- “Since [the failure in March 2024] we have been working closely with those who completed the original design for the slope’s stability and installed a wall to try to understand the cause of the slippage.” “Dunedin Haden Cross do not accept any liability for the slope failure and in the matter of costs and liability the insurers and loss adjusters have been notified and our solicitors are closely monitoring all correspondence,” There is one additional aspect of this that is interesting. In 2020, the Halesowen News reported concerns about the management of earth materials at “a new housing estate next to Haden Hill Park in Cradley Heath” Dunedin Haden Cross is named as the developer “Residents say the mound has been getting bigger and bigger and are worried it could collapse.” Whilst the current legal position is perhaps understandable this leaves the owners of the houses – the entirely innocent victims of this situation – in complete limbo their home insurance is unlikely to cover landslides the local authority has no direct responsibility A Wolverhampton based property developer says it is urgently seeking sites to develop after successfully selling off all of its units at an industrial park in Cradley Heath Westbeech Group says it has now sold all freehold units on its redeveloped Westminster Industrial Estate in Cradley Heath which included two existing industrial units totalling 35,000 square feet managing director of Wolverhampton-based Westbeech Group said they are urgently seeking similar sites that can be redeveloped as well as multi-let industrial sites to purchase  “We saw an opportunity to take advantage of the increasing demand for quality industrial and warehousing units in the West Midlands," he said “There is a shortage of new stock and the response to our development has been tremendous with completion expected in early April 2025.” Westbeech Group owns upwards of 300,000 sq ft of commercial space across the Black Country and Birmingham and acquires sites for new buildings It also has a residential division which acquires sites and builds from one home to 30 for the discerning buyer looking for a luxury family home the group launched the first Nest Self Storage centre in Bloxwich Commercial property agents Bulleys advised Westbeech Group on the sale of the eight units The Sandwell Colleges’ £9.3million Skills Campus has reached a significant milestone with a topping out ceremony taking place today marking the completion of the core building phase of the project Sandwell Council representatives and other key partners highlights the substantial progress of the new development in Cradley Heath which remains on track to open in early 2026 The Skills Campus will provide essential training and learning opportunities to equip local people with the skills needed for in-demand industries supporting economic growth and employment in Sandwell and the Black Country Principal and CEO of The Sandwell Colleges commented: "Today's topping out ceremony represents another step forward in our commitment to delivering a new and much-needed learning facility at the heart of the community the campus will be instrumental in providing cutting-edge skills training and supporting our region’s economic growth in skills priority areas including health and adult social care By investing in high-quality education and training we are ensuring that learners of all ages have the opportunity to further their education progress to the next stage and secure rewarding careers." The Sandwell Colleges’ Skills Campus located on Lower High Street in Cradley Heath is a key component of the Rowley Regis Town Investment Plan Funded through the Government’s Towns Fund the project is a testament to Sandwell Council’s commitment to community regeneration and career advancement for residents in the area said: “This fantastic new campus will offer state-of-the-art facilities specialist training workshops and employer-led programmes designed to meet the evolving needs of local industries and adult learning It will serve as a hub for skills development ensuring that learners gain real-world experience and qualifications that lead to sustainable employment.” The Skills Campus will offer state-of-the-art facilities specialist simulated and training workshops and employer-led programmes designed to meet the evolving needs of local industries and adult learning ensuring that learners gain real-world experience and qualifications that lead to sustainable employment The new campus is being developed in close collaboration with industry partners further education specialists and Sandwell Council to create a campus of excellence that will support a pipeline of skilled workers for the region’s growing industries The Sandwell Colleges has appointed Speller Metcalfe as the main contractor for the project. With construction progressing as planned, Sandwell College looks forward to welcoming students and employers to the Cradley Heath Skills Campus in early 2026 More updates on the development will be shared in the coming months Police and an ambulance was called to Cradley Heath Railway Station following concerns for the welfare of a man The alert was raised at around 10am today (April 8) One ambulance attended the scene and assessed the man who didn’t require hospital treatment and was discharged on scene A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "We were called to Cradley Heath station shortly after 10am this morning following reports of a concern for welfare "Paramedics also attended and the person was taken to a place of safety." A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance said: "We were called by the police to Cradley Heath Railway Station Cradley Heath following concerns for the welfare of a man One ambulance attended the scene and assessed the man who didn’t require hospital treatment and was discharged on scene." An investigation has been launched after a car crash in a Black Country street for the second time in as many weeks West Midlands Police's Rowley Neighbourhood Team rushed to the scene in Barrs Road, Cradley Heath on Monday afternoon after a car came to rest on its side The road was shut between Haden Park Road and Valley Road to allow the emergency services to deal with the incident The team posted on X: "Rowley Police@Rowley  Rowley Neighbourhood Team are currently dealing with an road traffic collision in Barrs Road in Cradley Heath Please be patient as the road is closed whilst the investigation is ongoing." suffered multiple fractures when he was struck by a car in the same street on April 12 His girlfriend Sophie Chadwick today said: " He’s doing well and A police spokesperson confirmed they attended the accident and were investigating the circumstances around it A pedestrian who was struck by a car Cradley Heath is making slow progress as officers reveal that the driver suspected of being at the wheel has been arrested The injured man, aged in his 30s and who has not been named, was walking along Barrs Road, Cradley Heath with his friend on April 12 at about 7.30pm when he was involved in a collision with a car which failed to stop at the scene He will be unable to walk or drive for several months due to his injuries said: "He was walking to the Londis in Valley Road with his friend who miraculously wasn’t injured He sustained a fractured to his neck/skull area and a broken ankle  "He’s making slow progress in hospital but will be unable to walk or drive for a few months." "The reckless and careless actions of one selfish individual has changed our lives forever," Miss Chadwick added He was treated at the scene by ambulance crews before being taken to Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital West Midlands Police launched an investigation following the incident was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and has been bailed pending further inquiries Witness with information should contact officers via Live Chat on the force website or call 101 quoting Log 4154 of 12 April A man suffered potentially serious injuries after being struck by a car in Cradley Heath Police are investigating the collision which took place Barrs Road at around 7.30pm on Saturday (April 12) A car hit a man aged in his 30s and didn't stop at the scene, West Midlands Police said was taken to hospital with face and leg injuries "Anyone with information should contact us via Live Chat on our website or call 101 quoting Log 4154 of April 12." One ambulance was called to the scene to reports of a collision involving a car and a pedestrian  A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman added: "On arrival crews found a man who they treated for potentially serious injuries before conveying him to Russells Hall Hospital.” Residents living in the shadow of a landslip in Cradley Heath have demanded action Residents living in Haden Cross Drive in Cradley Heath are furious nothing is being done about the sliding hill above their home Halesowen MP Alex Ballinger held a public meeting yesterday morning bringing all the residents together. He told the Express & Star: "The failure to make good the landslip on Haden Cross Drive is a disgraceful dereliction by the developer "The landslip is causing serious health and safety concerns as well as massive challenges with parking and other issues "It has been an ordeal residents should not have had to face and is unacceptable that no action has been taken thus far I met with residents this weekend and will continue to work with the Council to push the developer to fulfil its responsibilities as soon as possible." due to the developer Dunedin Homes not asking for the road to be adopted by Sandwell Council the residents are in the hands of the developers who cannot move his car due to the mounds of earth on the street wants something done before "rubble comes through my kitchen" He said: "Every day the landslip gets closer and closer to my house I am worried it will soon be coming through our kitchen window  We just do not know how long it will take "We have complained and complained but the developer does not listen We have emailed the developer over and over again Paul's partner Janessa Stackhouse added: "This is our first house Cradley Heath Councillor and Sandwell Council Vicki Smith attended the meeting "This developer needs to make this estate safe something similar happened in Tesco and they fixed it." and Specialist Property Asset Management Limited has been contacted for comment Pictures show the damage left behind at a Cradley Heath home after a "severe" fire which saw a man taken to hospital Around 20 firefighters rushed to the blaze in the two-story semi-detached property on Sylvia Pankhurst Close shortly before 4.50pm on Thursday (February 6) One man had left the property before their arrival and is believed to have been taken to hospital by paramedics after suffering burns, a West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said The blaze is said to have affected the entire property with neighbours evacuated from their homes The fire service spokesman added: "This was a severe fire on the ground and first floor of a two-storey semi-detached house Two buses were forced to divert following an incident in Cradley Heath Public transport users were urged to leave more time for travel following an 'medical episode' on Fox Oak Street and St Annes Road, Cradley Heath The National Express West Midlands services three and 24 were both forced to divert from their regular routes and instead followed Newton Lane A National Express West Midlands spokesperson said: "Due to an incident on Fox Oak Street/St Annes Road Cradley Heath Services 3 & 24 are diverting in both directions via: Newtown Lane Dudley Wood Road Apologies for any disruption to your journey." The incident has since cleared, with West Midlands Police saying the incident was due to a "medical episode." Emergency services have been approached for comment A community centre is set to be demolished to make way for new council housing Sandwell Council has revealed plans to knock down Cradley Heath Community Centre in Reddal Hill Road, Cradley Heath to make way for around 13 new council homes The community centre is used by the Citizens Advice Bureau and drugs and alcohol support groups as well as Yemeni Community Assocation for English classes The cabinet report said the former primary school was now “surplus to all council use” and its running costs had become a “significant expenditure.” Labour-run Sandwell Council has set a savings target of £2.5m in its property management budget – the buildings it owns and runs – this year a former primary school that was converted in the early 1980s was run by Sandwell Community Hubs until 2022 when it was handed back to Sandwell Council The centre costs around £54,000 a year to run with repairs amounting to at least £11,000 a year The building would need at least £350,000 to repair in the next five years and at least a further £150,000 in the next two decades The building’s budget would be “exhausted within the next six months,” the cabinet report added The council said it would be kicking out community organisations and groups but help them relocate to new venues Haden Hill Leisure Centre has been suggested as a potential location for some of the sports clubs and community organisations and groups to relocate to – but that facility is in the process of being demolished to make way for a new leisure centre The leisure centre is not expected to re-open until at least May 2027 the Cradley Sports and Social Club and Luxor Events A man's body has been found in a woodland area in Sandwell with the death being treated as unexplained The body was discovered in woods near High Haden Road in Cradley Heath at around midday on Friday West Midlands Police said the man's death was being treated as unexplained but not suspicious Emergency services were spotted on Hardwick Drive in the nearby Halesowen area after being called just after midday with the response including a police incident support unit A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "We were called to woodland area near High Haden Road "His death was being treated as unexplained but not suspicious and a file was being prepared for the coroner Our thoughts are with the man's family at this very difficult time." A brand new three storey apartment block  with two adjacent houses are set to be built in Cradley Heath A planning application has been submitted to Sandwell Council for the new apartment block and two houses on land in St Anne's Road Brierley Hill company JSA Corporate have been working on the application for four years and have worked with planning officers from Sandwell Council to ensure the authority's planning committee pass the application With a desperate need for homes in the Black Country which are built on brownfield sites instead of controversial developments on greenbelt land The new development is adjacent to Compton Grange Care Home The design and access statement submitted to the planning department said: "The two three bed houses are traditional in appearance with red brick external walls reconstituted stone cills and blue brick heads "The designs haven taken influence from the terraced Double-glazed windows and doors with a dark grey frame have been chosen to enhance the appearance and maintain a modern feel."  After taking advice from Sandwell Council planning officers after a previous application raised concerns the statement said: "The apartments are traditional in appearance with red brick external walls and pitched slate-effect tiled roofs "A dark blue string course has been included above which it is proposed to clad the walls externally with a horizontal cement fibre plank "The design has taken influence from the existing houses and apartments fronting St Anne’s Road but also retained a separate contemporary identity The communal spaces will be fully glazed with a powder coated aluminium framed curtain walling to both visually separate the elevations to reduce the scale to a more domestic size and to be more visible from the paved approach to each entrance." The design has been created to compliment Compton Grange Care Home The statement said: "The site slopes gently from north to south following the line of St Anne’s Road but drops sharply from east to west towards the existing Compton Grange care home The design has utilised the existing topography and levels to reduce any requirement for steps and ramps The landscaping of the development has ensured new trees and shrubbery ensure there is greenery throughout The statement added: "New trees to compensate for those that have been identified for removal will be of the native variety and to a scale to complement the development Turf grass has been proposed for the majority of the soft landscaping to provide amenity space and for the general long-term ease of maintenance "Shrubbed areas are proposed where it is not suitable for turf also to be of long-term low-maintenance in nature A maintenance schedule for the landscaping is to be implemented." The consultation for comments concerning the Sandwell Council planning application is Sunday A public meeting is being held at the site of a huge landslip which left Cradley Heath residents fearing for their homes Tonnes of soil and earth fell on to Haden Cross Drive over the festive period preventing some residents in the cul-de-sac being able to leaving their homes The latest landslip is yet another chapter in the long-running saga of subsidence and collapsing land in the area Last March, the Express & Star revealed the nightmare residents faced watching their gardens fall into the abyss and their battle to get answers about what is to blame for the subsidence And if the problems are down to historic mining or whether recent developments in the area have made the problems worse Problems on the new Dunedin Homes new-build development began last year when trees started to collapse and the condition of the land worsened due to bad weather There are delays likely and diversions in place this morning along three bus routes in the Black Country with High Street 4M and X10 are being diverted in both directions via Fox Oak Street until further notice dirt and rubble is spilling into the road of a new-build housing estate as a result of a landslip that has been slowly getting worse over the past year Some of the residents of Haden Cross Drive in Cradley Heath are trapped in the cul-de-sac part of the estate due to the huge mound of soil blocking their access road almost spilling into the front garden of one of the homes The subsidence on the Dunedin Homes development first became evident in January last year when a tree fell in the woods uphill from the estate and it was aggravated by subsequent bad weather An Andacrib concrete retaining wall was built at the bottom of the slope by Phi Group The contractor's website says the wall is made of a 'durable solution' that provides a 'maintenance-free 120 years' - but cracks began to show just eighteen months later The land eventually broke through the wall and has gradually been spilling further since last January The 65-year-old, who lives with his girlfriend and works at the nearby BMW branch said he has spent up to £20,000 on his garden but says he will 'never be able to sell it' A Cradley Heath pub could be demolished to make way for a new shop New plans reveal that Sham Singh’s application to Sandwell Council includes knocking down the Crown Inn on Station Road, Old Hill for a shop The empty pub would be demolished and replaced with the single-storey 338 square metre shop and 10-space car park A statement included with the application said: “The proposed development provides new small-scale retail and commercial floorspace of direct benefit to the locality and on a site wholly appropriate for such a purpose which will both support the day-to-day needs of the proposed development [and] local community “The proposals will maximise the use of the brownfield site by bringing a longstanding vacant and derelict site into beneficial retail use “The existing building currently contributes poorly to its urban environment is becoming an increasing eye sore in the local community and has been a location for vandalism the site has a negative impact on the townscape and appearance of the local area “The proposal will allow for nearby residents to access a retail facility by foot as such reducing the local dependency on private car use The council had earmarked land in Station Road and Waterfall Lane as a potential site for more than 190 homes in the future but with the land currently under a range of ownerships and with many looking to redevelop or unwilling to sell no solid plans are expected for at least the next 15 years The land is expected to be included for employment use in the council’s updated development plans A man has been taken to hospital after a "severe" house fire in Cradley Heath West Midlands Fire Service crews rushed to the scene of the fire in Sylvia Pankhurst Close this evening (Thursday Four fire crews were dispatched to the scene of what was described as a "severe house fire" A statement from the fire service said: "Four fire crews have responded this evening to a severe house fire in Sylvia Pankhurst Close The fire is believed to have started accidentally but our investigators will be working to confirm the cause." A Sandwell pub has been praised for maintaining a high standard of hygiene throughout the premises The Moon Under Water, in Cradley Heath has gained the top rating for its levels of hygiene in Sandwell Council’s Scores on the Doors programme The Wetherspoons pub on the town's High Street was awarded a five-star rating by the council’s inspectors Scores on the Doors aims to highlight hygiene standards in pubs Inspectors judge outlets on how hygienic and well-managed the food preparation at the premises is and each business is benchmarked against the same criteria namely: hygiene said: “We are delighted that we have gained the top rating and I’m sure our customers will welcome the news too “Standards of hygiene at the pub are of paramount importance “All of the staff work hard to ensure that the pub offers its customers the highest levels of hygiene at all time and we are delighted that our efforts have been recognised with the five-star rating.” Volunteers at a community charity shop in Sandwell say their door is always open for pet owners who are looking for free and cheap services Angie's Helping Hands on Cradley Heath High Street was started by volunteers with a love for animals and over 100 years of animal rescue experience between them The purpose of the charity is to offer accessible pet care for everyone at affordable prices and to support pet owners who may need help and advice on any aspect of pet care The charity also aims to neuter as many pets as possible following an increase in unwanted litters abandoned animals and overflowing animal rescue centres Volunteer Caroline Chapman said: "Free and cheap neutering for people on benefits is not as easy to access as it once was there are more and more unwanted litters of kittens and puppies being born Animal rescue in this country is in crisis like never before The increase in the cost of living means many people are struggling to care for and keep their pets "In addition the amount of animals that were bred during lockdown many of these animals were not bred with good health being the main concern which has presented another set of problems and resulted in high vet bills for their owners some are surrendered simply because owners cannot pay the vet bills "Sometimes a cuppa and a chat is all people need to boost their confidence and reassure them they are doing the right things for their pet," Caroline added The Cradley Heath shop works like a regular charity shop selling clothes and brick-a-brac that was donated to them but also offers pet-care services and advice The group of volunteers will 'never turn anyone away' if they can help them whether it be offering advice on flea and worm treatment helping with the cost of neutering or an unforeseen vet bill who opened the Cradley Heath High Street site back in April The 69-year-old said: "I've always been in rescue I will neuter everything and anything if I can because we need to cut the population down of cats and dogs "We decided to open the shop as a means to provide any animals whose owners needed food If anyone wants any advice they can come in and ask us and we can point them in the right direction if they need rescue space." She has also gone to lengths to help members of the community "We had a man whose dog had an infection in the womb, she needed it removed immediately or she would die. The PDSA quoted £400 to do it in comparison to a normal vet who would charge £1200 "Our goal is to help any animal in any shape or form We can't pay thousands because we haven't got the funds The 10 volunteers at Angie's Helping Hands want to remind people who are struggling with pet care that there is an accessible and affordable option for them "There shouldn't be any need for any animal to suffer," Angie said Angie's Helping Hands can be found at  122 High St