£2.4 billion for trams "to change lives in one of the most deprived parts of this region."

 " ... we have been able to put the money into our frontline public services but crucially more investment money.

"As a result today we are able to announce £15.6 bn of investment including £2.4bn coming to the West Midlands for Richard Parker to spend on the priorities of the people here in the West Midlands."

Chancellor Rachel Reeves, speaking against a backdrop of a group of young apprentices and local politicians, said the Government was committed to supporting 'left behind' parts of the country to unlock growth.

The much vaunted line will run from the city centre to the Sports Quarter, then later go on to Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham Airport, the NEC and the HS2 interchange at Arden Cross. The first phase could be ready in five years.

READ MORE: £1 bn tram plan for Blues, NEC, HS2 and Birmingham Airport unveiled that will 'change lives'

The West Midlands is one of several regions handed a package of investment for local transport in today's announcement. The aim is to ensure transport schemes are in place to help unlock jobs, skills, housing and opportunities in poorer parts of the country.

Other transport initiatives to be funded by the West Midlands package are yet to be confirmed. A total of £15.6 billion of investment was announced nationally.

READ MORE: Why tram line to East Birmingham, Blues, Airport and NEC has to happen

Mayor Parker said: "This funding means we can now deliver a new Metro line to the Sports Quarter, connecting it to Birmingham city centre and unlocking one of the most significant private investments our region has ever seen.

Are you on the side of the angels?

Tom, You are my elected representative. It would be nice to get a reply, my friend. This time?

Is it reasonable to insist that Hamas must first give up the remaining hostages if they really want our side (Israel, America, Germany, UK, NATO) no longer murdering Palestinians in cold blood, in the chancy business of killing Hamas fighters in the process?

And this, when our side knows that only ceasefires, talking and compromise have brought hostage releases.

Tim

Dear Tim, 

I've given a great deal of thought over this. I don't believe there is a simple answer, and certainly not something I can elucidate in an email. 

So I'll simply ask a question in return, then pose a part of my belief. 

Are our side murdering Palestinians? I don't believe so. Unfortunately, Hamas is an brutalist, savage terrorist organisation, masquerading as a legitimate government. 

Dear Tom

Thanks for the reply.  Fantastic for that but, not this:

I woke up this morning to hear on the radio of more Gazans murdered and many injured in cold blood by the IDF, on our side, our friend and firm ally in war and peace that the UK and NATO fully arm.  Still, from HMG, nothing like a 100% arms embargo, no sanctions placed on Israel, no recognition from HMG that it recognises Palestine as a state, no action to tell Israel they must stop the 22 settlements from being built in the Occupied West Bank that Israel calls Judea and Samaria.  They are names from the Bible, that Israel claims is part of their country promised to them by God but others say is needed for a Palestinian state.

Yesterday evening I watched on BBC iPlayer, the documentary from Louis Theroux, 'The Settlers'.  I recommend it as part of our education about the tragedy of Israel in a state of constant worry, fear and insecurity with being unable to live in peace with its neighbours.

The other day I wrote this to Christian friends about a hymn my wife and I sang at church last month, 'We've a Story to Tell to the Nations':

1. Eighteen years after our 1896 exuberant and triumphalist hymn was published all about a "kingdom of love and light", and of singing a song that "shall conquer evil", we blundered so hurriedly into a totally unnecessary and the most foolish war in the history of humanity.  So much for "shattering the spear and sword"!
2. That war led to the Middle East being blessed with our British and French empires and all the horrors for the poor inhabitants of Palestine and Lebanon who simply wanted to be left alone from yet more foreign invaders.
3. To this very day, our Western, traditional Christian beliefs and values, demand drones and air strikes and bullets and buildings crumpled into dust and ashes to so nicely wipe out tens of thousands of evil Hamas men, women and children.

Are you able to help me stop the Dudley Tram destroying yet more nature and housing land to bring it the 600 metres from the about to be built Merry Hill tram stop, into Cottage Street, Brierley Hill, please?

 WBHE plan for Merry Hill.jpeg

which has led to the felling of these trees (for the new Merry Hill tram stop), needed to capture carbon dioxide and, with money saved from unnecessary tram expansion, to help the poorest with food and energy bills and Climate compliant housing:

 6 glorious white trees.jpg

And please read this:

 Stourbridge Friends of the Earth and MP and councillors

and this to our MP, quoting:

 Lord Peter Ricketts

Best wishes

Chris Baines for Daniels Land opinion?

Would Chris Baines meet me at Merry Hill Shopping Centre for me to show him Daniels Land that might be an SSSI, such is its isolation from human hand and foot for many decades. I would like his opinion, please. There is no official access but it can be viewed from the Dudley No 1 Canal towpath opposite M&S and Next. It looks important for wildlife but is down for housing development

"OCTOPUS: RECOMMENDED BY 'WHICH' EIGHT YEARS RUNNING"

"OCTOPUS: RECOMMENDED BY 'WHICH' EIGHT YEARS RUNNING" (bright, cheerful, cheeky Global Player advert!)

My long list of questions, in an earlier email to Octopus, do need to be answered by Octopus with one sensible answer to each question, please.

The same excellent service I had from Good Energy over FIT, now needs to be quickly seen and maintained by Octopus, so that I no longer lose FIT and SEG payments.

Are Octopus able to supply me with quarterly reminders of when FIT generation readings must be sent?

Why has this never been done, so far?

Can Octopus take export readings from my smart meter?

Or, do I have to send them in manually?

Should Octopus supply a smart meter that IS able to send export readings to them?

John Ch

Dear John

I'm writing to you, again because your knowledge and eloquence in arguing our case is a huge asset for us Climate activists.  I also strongly supported you, by writing, in trying to get our alternative proposal for Smallbrook Queensway to be adopted.  I also support Toqueer with a monthly sum.

On Saturday, like Rajan of XR, you also disagreed with me (or, it was not your priority) over my 40 years of writing about the destruction of our regional railway network for Metro tram expansion.  It really is the authorities' top transport spending to relieve road congestion and reduce GHG emissions.

John, I would love you to put me right over my contention that the billions being spent on GHG emissions for tram expansion, should and must be our top priority in arguing our case to the decision makers - the Senior Leadership team at 16 Summer Lane.  My case, below:

WMCA is causing Climate catastrophe by ...

• Allowing congested main roads near or alongside existing but unused​/partly used railway lines.
• Stourbridge Junction ​is very well used but its second mainline railway - once as equally important as the one in use - is used only for freight.
• Instead, people pile into their cars and add to the deepening Climate Emergency and congested roads.

• Why not use existing transport infrastructure for their design purpose​ and a century of use?

• Why not get the existing public transport at least as good as the average on the mainland of Europe?

• Would 150 miles of tramways simply make for a more complicated and slower public transport journey - with three modes instead of two - meaning more changes?

• The tram is like a "bus on rails" and, therefore, accelerates the Climate Emergency with all the concrete and steel having to be used, when both are very high in greenhouse gas emissions from ​their manufacture.

My suggestions to enable the low-hanging fruit to be picked first.   (timweller1@gmail.com)

1. TfWM/WMCA intention is to spend £15 BILLION (Jan 2020 figure) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 150 miles of tramways in our region.

2. INSTEAD, could that money go on extending Fare-Free Public Transport (FFPT) to everyone in the region?

3. Spend it on electric buses and finishing the electrification of the railway network.

4. Spend it on level access from pavement bus stop to bus door - for smooth access for all on four wheels or pushing four wheels.

5. Spend it on returning TRAINS to the remaining railway network and not trams.

6. Spend it on recording and fining those thoughtless car commuters who could leave their motors at home and enjoy the reward of FFPT.  In this way, the roads are freed up for essential vehicle users and GHG are reduced.

7. Spend it on retrofitting the homes of the poorest to make their houses solar-powered, energy-efficient and super-insulated.  Get the money back from wealthy landowners by the established practices.

My personal example - if I can do it ... My own house completed Climate compliance on 30 November 2023 when the gas meter was taken out​ (and £30/mth total energy, less a huge sum in what I export)!  In 1992/3 I gave up my right to claim car mileage by cycle commuting and, on official council business, cycling for work calls - for over 90% of the days for the last 20 years of work.  So 15p/mile instead of 40p/mile!

I've had regional FFPT for the last 17.5 years.  Everyone needs it!   (0791 380 4363)

The people to write to:  customerservices@tfwm.org.uk    AND    customerservices@wmca.org.uk

WMCA is causing Climate catastrophe by ...

• Allowing congested main roads near or alongside existing but unused/partly used railway lines.
• Popular Stourbridge Junction but its second mainline railway - once as equally important as the one in use - is used only for freight.

• As a result, people pile into their cars and add to the deepening Climate Emergency and congested roads.

• Why not use existing transport infrastructure for their design purpose and a century of use?

• Why not get the existing public transport at least as good as the average on the mainland of Europe?

• Would 150 miles of tramways simply make for a more complicated and slower public transport journey - with three modes instead of two - meaning more changes?

• The tram is like a "bus on rails" and, therefore, accelerates the Climate Emergency with all the concrete and steel having to be used, when both are very high in greenhouse gas emissions from their manufacture.

My suggestions to enable the low-hanging fruit to be picked first.   (timweller1@gmail.com)

1. TfWM/WMCA intention is to spend £15 BILLION (Jan 2020 figure) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 150 miles of tramways in our region.

2. INSTEAD, could that money go on extending Fare-Free Public Transport (FFPT) to everyone in the region?

3. Spend it on electric buses and finishing the electrification of the railway network.

4. Spend it on level access from pavement bus stop to bus door - for smooth access for all on four wheels or pushing four wheels.

5. Spend it on returning TRAINS to the remaining railway network and not trams.

6. Spend it on recording and fining those thoughtless car commuters who could leave their motors at home and enjoy the reward of FFPT.  In this way, the roads are freed up for essential vehicle users and GHG are reduced.

7. Spend it on retrofitting the homes of the poorest to make their houses solar-powered, energy-efficient and super-insulated.  Get the money back from wealthy landowners by the established practices.

My personal example - if I can do it ... My own house completed Climate compliance on 30 November 2023 when the gas meter was taken out!  In 1992/3 I gave up my right to claim car mileage by cycle commuting and, on official council business, cycling for work calls - for over 90% of the days for the last 20 years of work.  So 15p/mile instead of 40p/mile!

I've had regional FFPT for the last 17.5 years.  Everyone needs it!   (0791 380 4363)

The people to write to:  customerservices@tfwm.org.uk    AND    customerservices@wmca.org.uk

Is this deep green or shallow green or neither?

• Congested main roads near or alongside existing but unused railway lines.
• Popular Stourbridge Junction but its second mainline railway - once as equally important as the one in use - is not being used fully.
• Instead, people pile into their cars and add to the deepening Climate Emergency and congested roads.
• Why not use existing transport infrastructure for their design purpose?
• Why not get the existing public transport at least as good as that on the mainland of Europe?
• Would 150 miles of tramways simply make for a more complicated and slower public transport journey - with three modes instead of two?
• The tram is like a "bus on rails" and, therefore, accelerates the Climate Emergency with all the concrete and steel having to be used, when both are very high in greenhouse gas emissions from their manufacture.