Black Country news and blogs Friday 9 June 2017
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line
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Meeting the challenge of providing more school places 
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 22 Mar 16
A guest blog by Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for Children’s Services Councillor Simon Hackett.
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New secondary school in Oldbury
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 21 Mar 16
We are building a new secondary school in Langley with the school scheduled to open its doors to children in September 2016.
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Good news on new council housing in Sandwell
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 21 Mar 16
Some good news – we’re looking at building nearly 40 new council properties this year.
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The growth of future business in Sandwell
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 17 Mar 16
Last week we launched Sandwell’s new Business Ambassadors programme.
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Serving justice in Sandwell
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 8 Mar 16
Some of you may have heard about the closure of Sandwell Magistrates Court.
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Tackling drug crime in Sandwell
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 19 Feb 16
More than 60 people – including entire families – have been sentenced to 89 years in jail, following a crackdown on drug dealers and criminals.
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Check out our new free parking app
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 2 Feb 16
We’ve got a nifty new app for anyone who parks in Sandwell.
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Countdown to our new hospital
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 27 Jan 16
Last week I helped start the countdown to our brand new hospital in Smethwick.
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Marking Holocaust Memorial Day on Sunday
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 22 Jan 16
We’ll be paying our respects in Sandwell this Sunday ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day.
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Today’s bomb scare at Sandwell schools
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 19 Jan 16
You may have heard about the bomb threats at three of our schools this morning.
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A New Year, a new start – careers fair this Saturday
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 15 Jan 16
I know a lot of young people will be thinking about what they’ll be doing after school or college at the moment.
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Remembering Joel and his family at Wednesbury Leisure Centre
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 9 Dec 15
Today we marked the official opening of the new Wednesbury Leisure Centre.
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Terrorism will not divide us – silent vigil in Oldbury
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 20 Nov 15
Sandwell’s Muslim community has been collectively appalled by the recent terror attacks, not only in France but across the whole world.
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News on a combined authority for the West Midlands
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 17 Nov 15
We’ve had some great news today on the devolution deal for the West Midlands.
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The new Wednesbury Leisure Centre is now open
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 13 Nov 15
The new Wednesbury Leisure Centre opened this week.
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Remembrance Sunday in Sandwell
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 6 Nov 15
This weekend we will mark Remembrance Sunday with services across Sandwell.
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Ghostbusters!
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 4 Nov 15
On Saturday I spent a spooky night at the Big House in Oldbury to raise money for the Mayor’s Charity – Acorns Children’s Hospice.
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FREE firework displays in Sandwell parks
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 29 Oct 15
Hope you’re all looking forward to Bonfire Night next week and that you’ll be coming to one of our three free firework displays.
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We’re making Cape Hill safer
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 13 Oct 15
If you live in or travel through Smethwick, you may have noticed we’ve started some work in Cape Hill.
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Bostin! National dialect celebration coming to Wednesbury
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 11 Oct 15
There’s a bostin’ event coming up in Wednesbury later this month.
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Cradley Heath car parks – setting the record straight
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 8 Oct 15
I’ve been getting some calls from people concerned about the sale of car parks in Cradley Heath.
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Tackling dangerous parking outside our schools
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 6 Oct 15
It’s coming up to a year since we put our camera car on the roads of Sandwell to tackle dangerous parking.
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Vote for your favourite park and help Sandwell win!
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 9 Sep 15
Sandwell’s such a green place and our parks really fill me with pride.
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The Sandwell Show this weekend
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 28 Aug 15
I’m hoping to see plenty of you up at Sandwell Valley Country Park this weekend for the Sandwell Show.
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All kids invited to a FREE youth festival this weekend
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 26 Aug 15
Here’s a guest blog from Councillor Simon Hackett, cabinet member for children’s services, about this weekend’s Youth Festival.
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Sandwell Arts Festival fun
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 16 Aug 15
Our annual Sandwell Arts Festival kicks off this weekend – bringing free fun and entertainment for all the family.
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Marking VJ Day in Oldbury this Sunday
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 15 Aug 15
We’ll be marking 70 years since Victory in Japan at the war memorial in Oldbury this Sunday.
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A-Level results day – well done everyone.
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 13 Aug 15
Today hundreds of Sandwell students got their A-Level results.
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New reception suite at Sandwell Valley Crematorium
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 10 Aug 15
One of the newest buildings the council has opened is the Reception Suite at Sandwell Valley Crematorium.
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Summer in Sandwell
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 5 Aug 15
It’s been great to hear how the kids in Sandwell are enjoying the activities we’ve put on for them over the holidays.
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We wrote to you last week – have you replied?
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 4 Aug 15
Everyone in Sandwell should have received a letter from the council about the electoral register.
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Improving safety in Cape Hill
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 28 Jul 15
If you live in Smethwick, you’ll know how busy Cape Hill can be.
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Our green oasis in the Black Country…
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 23 Jul 15
Some cracking news for our parks and green spaces in Sandwell today – they’ve won 13 Green Flag awards from Keep Britain Tidy.
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Good news for West Smethwick Park
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 15 Jul 15
Some good news – we’ve secured the first round of funding to improve West Smethwick Park.
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Devastating news from the attacks in Tunisia
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 1 Jul 15
I am sure you will have heard the terrible news over the weekend that our gas services manager, Adrian Evans, was killed in Friday’s terrorist attack in Tunisia.
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Sandwell’s got talent
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 2 Jun 15
It never ceases to amaze me how talented Sandwell’s young people are.
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Good luck our kid. Blind Dave takes on the Sahara Desert
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 19 Mar 15
I reckon most people in Sandwell have heard of Blind Dave Heeley.
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500 jobs at new Lidl distribution centre in Wednesbury
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 18 Mar 15
More of us than ever are shopping at discount supermarkets – and their popularity means a really big boost for Wednesbury and Sandwell.
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Free swimming for kids – and an update on Wednesbury Leisure Centre
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 17 Mar 15
Two bits of good news today, both with a swimming theme.
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Have you used our four star website?
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 16 Mar 15
The council’s website has been named as one of the best in the country for the second year running.
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Welcoming Midshire and 20 new jobs to West Bromwich
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 13 Mar 15
It was a real privilege to be asked to officially open the new state-of-the-art HQ for Midshire Business Systems in West Bromwich.
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A new era for West Smethwick Park
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 11 Mar 15
Lots of us have happy memories of West Smethwick Park.
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A freeze on council tax and councillors’ allowances
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 9 Mar 15
Last week the council set the budget for the next financial year.
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Get involved with local mental health services
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 17 Feb 15
Mental health is something we don’t talk enough about.
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Helping young people find work
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 13 Feb 15
In Sandwell, we’re committed to helping thousands of young people who aren’t currently in education, training or employment to find work and get qualifications.
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New year, new start for Smethwick charity
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 5 Feb 15
Last week I was invited to the relaunch of SAFS – a wonderful charity in Smethwick.
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Action to improve Sandwell’s academies
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 21 Jan 15
At today’s cabinet meeting we discussed Ofsted’s concerns over the quality of secondary school education in Sandwell.
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Hundreds of our young people looking to the future
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 20 Jan 15
I was really pleased to hear how popular the Connexions’ careers event was at the new Sandwell Sixth campus in West Brom.
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Come to Sandwell’s biggest jobs and training fair tomorrow
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 16 Jan 15
The New Year is a good time to be thinking about the future.
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Sandwell links up with Chinese business leaders
Cllr Darren Cooper: The Bottom Line 16 Jan 15
It was my pleasure to welcome a delegation of Chinese business and state officials to Sandwell yesterday.