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Church Hill Blog

Local and national news, insights, info and updates for Church Hill, Beoley, Redditch, and The Worcestershire County. Opinions and comment.

Promoting local events and supporting businesses in the community. About The Church Hill Blog

The Church Hill Blog covers anything and everything that goes on in the small, and formally perfectly formed, local area of Church Hill in Redditch. We also cover the wider area of Redditch and the Country of Worcestershire.

📍From local events, new shops and restaurants, local politics and planning iss

ues, to education, parking problems, traffic jams, accidents, incidents, crime, and everything in between, we’re here to keep residents informed, involved and talking. If it matters to Church Hill, we’ll be covering it.

💬
We also run a regular feature called — a topical discussion point that encourages debate and conversation around local issues. This usually goes live on a Tuesday, but we’ll post one any time a subject crops up that’s worth a natter. Expect strong opinions, good conversation and maybe a few laughs. You can also find local information, weather, travel, news, events and more online at:
🌐 https://www.churchhillblog.com

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Posts come in many forms, news, local info, events and opinion. The Editorial Team will post content they feel is relevant, timely and of interest to Church Hill residents. We don’t shy away from controversial topics. In fact, those are often the best kind, everyone wants to have their say. We welcome all views, but we do not welcome abuse, aggression SPAM or hostility, particularly towards the Administration Team. We want this page to be a space where everyone feels able to engage in the conversation without being shouted down. We do not promote political parties or social justice campaigns. ⚖️
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👥Editorial Team
MJ, Adam, Mel and Jarred. The Editorial Team reserve the right to remove any comment or post that interferes with the flow of conversation, breaches our standards, or makes it difficult for others to enjoy the page. In exceptional cases, users may be restricted or blocked to maintain a respectful environment.

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We believe the idea of making offensive speech unlawful is a non-starter. What offends one person may be routine for another. If we banned all speech that caused offence to someone, we’d be handing control of free speech to the most easily offended. Offence is subjective. Freedom of speech must include the right to say things that may challenge, irritate, or provoke, provided it does not cross the line into targeted abuse or harassment. Contact 📩
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12/01/2026

An extraordinary council meeting that was originally scheduled to take place on 8 January has now been rescheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday 13 January, with a peaceful protest planned to take place ahead of it.

The protest will be held at 6 pm at Oakenshaw Community Centre, where the rearranged meeting is due to take place later that evening. Organisers say the protest is open to all residents, regardless of political persuasion, who believe the May local elections should go ahead as planned.

Campaigners argue that cancelling the elections undermines democratic accountability and removes residents’ ability to hold councillors to account through the ballot box.

The protest has been organised by Emma Marshall, who says residents are being misled about both the necessity and the consequences of the proposal. She argues that while the cancellation is being presented as a temporary, one year change, this disguises what is actually happening.

Ms Marshall says that nine councillors will have reached the end of their democratic mandate, and cancelling the election would allow them to remain in post without renewed public consent. She believes this directly affects residents’ ability to pass judgement on their elected representatives in a meaningful way.

Supporters of the cancellation have argued that elections would result in councillors serving only a short term. Ms Marshall disputes this, pointing out that short terms have not previously been used as a reason to cancel elections. She notes that in 2023 councillors were elected knowing they would serve for just one year due to boundary changes, yet elections still went ahead.

Ms Marshall has also raised concerns about the decision making process itself, saying that Labour councillors backing the proposal have the numbers to push the motion through, raising questions about whether the extraordinary meeting will allow for genuine debate or whether the outcome has already been decided.

The protest is expected to remain peaceful and is intended to give residents the opportunity to make their views known ahead of the rescheduled meeting.

12/01/2026

🌿 From the Garden Guru

Welcome back and Happy New Year. This is the first gardening blog of 2026, and after the festive season it is lovely to turn our thoughts back to the garden. January may feel quiet and cold, but the gardening year has already begun, even if most of the work happens slowly and thoughtfully.

❄️ Weather Outlook
The week ahead looks wintry, with cold days, sharp nights and the chance of frost. There may be some rain mixed with brighter spells, but temperatures will stay low. Take care on icy paths and choose your moments carefully if heading outside.

🪏 Jobs for the Week Ahead
January is all about gentle maintenance rather than hard labour. Check plants in pots and containers and make sure they are not sitting in water, as frozen compost can damage roots. Brush snow or heavy frost from evergreens to prevent branches bending or snapping.
If the ground is workable, you can add compost or well rotted manure to empty beds, letting worms and weather do the hard work before spring.
This is also a good week to check stored vegetables and fruit, removing anything that is starting to soften or rot.

🌱 Planting and Early Preparation
Bare root trees, shrubs and roses can still be planted while plants are dormant, as long as the soil is not frozen. Garlic can also go in now and benefits from the cold conditions.
Towards the end of the month, start thinking about seed trays, pots and labels. Clean them now so everything is ready when sowing time arrives.

🐦 Nature Notes
January can be a tough month for wildlife. Keep bird feeders topped up and water fresh. You may notice birds becoming more confident in the garden as natural food sources remain scarce.

✨ Guru’s Tip of the Week
Do not feel pressured to rush. Winter gardening is about observation and planning. Take time to notice where frost lingers, where water gathers, and where winter sunshine falls. These small details help shape a better garden later in the year.

A new gardening year is beginning quietly beneath the soil. While the garden may look asleep, it is already preparing for the seasons ahead.

Until next week
🌿 The Garden Guru
📧 [email protected]

10/01/2026

Clearer skies early in the evening will allow temperatures to drop quickly, leading to a cold start with frost in places.

Later in the night, a band of rain and hill snow will spread in from the west, accompanied by strengthening winds.
Conditions will turn less cold in the west towards dawn.

Frost and icy stretches likely before the rain arrives.

Minimum temperature: 0°C

Tomorrow
A cloudy and damp day with outbreaks of rain and some hill snow, especially during the morning.

By afternoon, most of the precipitation will fall as rain, but there remains a risk of freezing rain, particularly in eastern areas, which could lead to icy patches.
Feeling cold throughout.

Maximum temperature: 6°C

10/01/2026

It’s feeling rather chilly today, so how about warming yourself up with some proper hot food at The Oast House. They are serving from 12 noon. A perfect excuse to escape the cold and enjoy something comforting.

They offer classics like bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches, sausage and red onion chutney, paninis and fish finger bloomer sandwiches, all ideal for a relaxed midday bite.

Their main menu is also available, featuring pub favourites such as beer battered cod, rump steak, Caribbean jerk chicken, tandoori chicken masala, gourmet burgers and dirty fries. And if there’s still room, desserts include sticky toffee pudding, chocolate fudge cake and biscoff cheesecake.

Most dishes are also available for takeaway, so feel free to call ahead and place your order if you fancy enjoying it at home.

📍
The Oast House
Paper Mill Drive
Redditch
B98 8QJ

📞 01527 596037

Food is served from 12 noon until 7 pm.*

Because sitting at home wondering what to eat is far less enjoyable than actually eating it.

09/01/2026

🚨 Cross City Line train services are cancelled for the rest of the day.

09/01/2026

🚨 West Midlands Trains are suspended until 12noon at the earliest. Check their website for the latest updates.

09/01/2026

Snow has fallen over night take care out on the major routes and roads.

08/01/2026

Share your snowy photos below 👇🏻

08/01/2026

🚨 Travel:
There will be no train service from Redditch tomorrow. West Midlands Railway have cancelled all trains in light of the incoming storm.

08/01/2026

West Midlands Railway tell us due to the storm, there will be reduced train services from 19:00pm this evening.

08/01/2026

The meeting this evening of Redditch Council to discuss the cancellation of local elections has been postponed due to the amber weather warning.

This also means that the protest will also not go ahead this evening.

07/01/2026

⚠️ Storm Goretti is approaching and will bring multiple weather hazards across England and Wales on Thursday and into Friday.

The Met Office has issued warnings for wind, snow and rain, covering our area, including an AMBER warning for Thursday, reducing to a Yellow warning for Friday.

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