A popular community grants scheme will be cut completely after Conservative councillors rejected pleas to save it. Opposition councillors described the decision as a "kick in the teeth to kind-hearted voluntary groups."

Last week saw councillors from across Bromsgrove debate the Council's budget for the upcoming year. Bromsgrove District Council has been squeezed by the Covid-19 pandemic as well as dwindling grants from central Government. One of the most controversial decisions was to cut a community grant fund which provides small grants to voluntary groups to deliver projects and activities that benefit local residents.

• Dr David Nicholl calls on Sajid Javid to sack Boris Johnson
• Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey says "It's time Conservative MPs did their patriotic duty"

Responding to Sue Gray's update on parties being held in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns, the previous Liberal Democrat candidate for Bromsgrove, David Nicholl said:

Bromsgrove Liberal Democrats have submitted a motion to this week's Full Council calling for the authority to invest unspent covid recovery funds on improving cycling facilities for children.

Bromsgrove District Council has significant reserves of unspent covid recovery funds, prompting Lib Dem councillors to issue a call for the authority to invest the funds in creating a legacy of future cycling enthusiasts. The motion would see council officers explore ways of using unspent covid funds to secure new cycling facilities for children across the district's parks.

Next Week Bromsgrove District Council is expected to approve a new plan to use the council tax system to tackle empty homes after a forward-looking motion submitted by the Liberal Democrats.

According to the most recent figures published in 2021 there are now 2,639 households on the Council's waiting list for a new home in Bromsgrove. Yet at the last count there were also 462 homes in the district sat completely empty, instead of going to a family in need. After discovering this shocking waste of housing, the Liberal Democrats brought forward a motion in October 2020 calling for an 'Empty Homes Premium' to be adopted in Bromsgrove. This means using the Council Tax system to encourage owners of empty homes to bring them back in to use or sell them to somebody else who can.

West Midlands ambulance service response times for the most serious incidents, e.g. cardiac arrest, have increased to over 8 minutes in December compared to November, new Ambulance Service Statistics have revealed.

The statistics, released from NHS England, show that average wait times for serious incidents have worsened in every region in England over the past month, failing to meet both the Category 1 and Category 2 callout times.