Sandwell Council has unveiled plans for a bus and cycle only zone in part of West Bromwich, to make it safer and easier for shoppers and students using the town centre. The council is consulting on proposals to introduce the zone along 40 metres of New Street, outside Sandwell College’s Central Sixth campus. Many motorists are ignoring existing traffic restrictions on this stretch of road – and the new order would allow the council to use CCTV to enforce a ban on other vehicles.

New fire safety measures will help save the lives of tenants and ensure all rented property is equipped with a smoke alarm, Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said today. From  the 1st October, landlords are required by law to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their properties, under new Government measures coming into force. It is estimated this could help prevent more than 25 deaths and nearly 700 injuries a year. 

An additional consultation event is being held for people to have their say about proposed changes to a number of social care services in Wolverhampton. The City of Wolverhampton Council has put forward plans which it says will transform social care services and help older people in the city remain independent for longer.

A sniffer dog helped trading standards officers in Sandwell to find more than 5,000 illegal cigarettes and a quantity of counterfeit hand-rolling tobacco on raids on two shops. Yoyo the spaniel helped to find the illegal merchandise in the raids on the shops in West Bromwich and Tipton. The tobacco products were sniffed out by Yoyo from various hiding places including some behind a false panel within a shop's tobacco display.

A ban on smoking in cars carrying children and young people up to the age of 18 which came into force on Thursday 1 October, 2015 is the England-wide ban following the introduction of similar legislation in Wales, and both the driver and the smoker can be fined £50 if found flouting the law. Experts say second-hand smoke is particularly harmful to children and young people as they breathe more rapidly and have less developed airways.

It was fantastic to see so many local organisations and people from across the Black Country come together as one, to support the latest event celebrating Dudley’s unity. The Dudley ‘CommUNITY’ day of celebrations followed on the back of the hugely popular and national award-winning Funday Sunday event held earlier in the year.