I will start by wishing you a Happy New Year.
However, I ask that we all spare a thought to the many people working over the festive period. While the full list is too extensive to go through, there is one group in particular that deserve our thanks – those who are caring for others, either directly within their own family or through delivering services, often to the most vulnerable. A special thanks to them.
I am proud that Solihull continues to stand out amongst its peers. We have the highest job density in all of the West Midlands and the borough’s job growth over the last 10 years has been double the national average. This means there are more available jobs for the people of the borough, which is certainly something we should all celebrate.
Working to develop and grow our economy is essential to our future plans in Solihull and we’re grateful for the West Midlands Combined Authority’s help with this. We have secured around £57 million of funding this year and this has helped us deliver lasting changes to the borough, such as the creation of the new Town Centre Approach.
Not only does this partnership provide jobs, but it also goes some way to ensuring we are able to deliver the quality and level of service we want for everyone in our borough, both now and in the future.
Working closely with our partners remains a key priority for us. Through our Solihull Together programme we’re working closely with the Police, Fire service, voluntary and community sector, Solihull Community Housing and our NHS partners to ensure that our residents get the right care and support.
All our partnership working remains focused on our first priority, the people of Solihull.
Once again I wish you all a very Happy New Year.
