Andy Mitchell
Verified
As seen in:
Evesham Journal,
Worcester News UK,
Bottom LINE,
MSN,
MSN Singapore,
MSN UK,
BBC,
BBC News,
The Guardian,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News Australia,
Yahoo News Malaysia
and
Sports writer, stadium/event presenter
📝 Midlands & beyond - @NonLeaguePaper
📝 Midlands & beyond - @MidlandLeague
📝 Walsall - PA Sport
📝 PR - @reddboroughfc
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Andy Mitchell
Labour orders councillors to end Warwick district power share with Greens
The Labour Party's national executive has ordered its councillors on Warwick District Council to withdraw from a power-sharing pact with the Green Party. The authority has been run by a Green-Labour coalition since May 2023 but that now must be pulled apart within the next two weeks on the back of instructions from Labour's hierarchy. It centres around a controversial motion that was passed at the recent Green Party conference, declaring that Zionism is racism.
Great Alne Primary SEN conversion: Warwickshire Council explores mainstream places
Mainstream school places could return to the former Great Alne Primary School under proposals to establish a special educational needs (SEN) facility on the site. The suggestion came from Councillor Keith Kondakor (Green, Weddington) who put forward the concept as a means of supporting the viability of the planned refurbishment, with Reform UK councillors indicating they would explore the option.
Latest on plans for 10,000 new homes in Warwickshire - as residents excluded from development board
A call for ordinary residents to serve on the board that will determine proposals for 10,000 new homes in Long Marston has been rejected. Stratford-on-Avon District Council's cabinet – the group of Liberal Democrat councillors responsible for major decisions – approved a governance and delivery framework for the planned new community at Long Marston Airfield on Monday.
Inquiry started into town's high infant death rate
Rugby recorded 11 infant deaths in 2024, according to Office for National Statistics dat An inquiry is examining why Rugby's infant death rate is more than double the national average. An investigation is under way into why Rugby has recorded a significantly higher infant mortality rate than the national average in recent years. These statistics measure infant mortality as the number of children who die before their first birthday for every 1,000 live births.
Buildings and car park to be bulldozed amid proposals for town regeneration
A presentation to MPs and plans to demolish buildings and a car park are among the proposals set to drive forward the regeneration of Stratford's Gateway site. Details of continuing efforts to redevelop the area off Birmingham Road, Arden Street and Windsor Street, Stratford, were outlined in an update to Stratford-on-Avon District Council's scrutiny panel this week.
Council set to bid for fire-damaged pub at auction despite 'black hole' warning
Stratford-on-Avon District Council's attempt to purchase the fire-damaged pub that has "blighted" Alcester's high street for five years has been approved – despite concerns over the potential creation of a financial "black hole". The Grade-II listed Three Tuns on High Street, Alcester, has been propped up by scaffolding that blocks the pavement ever since it was devastated by fire in 2021.
Heatwave sparks 'extremely smelly nappy' woe in Midlands area where bins emptied every three weeks
A request to assist households dealing with the unpleasant combination of soiled nappies and sweltering temperatures cannot be fulfilled owing to insufficient council resources. Councillor Jan Matecki (Con, Budbrooke) this week queried whether Warwick District Council ought to provisionally move from collecting household waste every three weeks to fortnightly during extended periods of hot weather.
Full list of Warwickshire roads set for new £220k traffic cameras
Six new sets of traffic enforcement cameras are coming to Warwickshire to crack down on dodgy drivers across the county. A public consultation is set to be launched on the plans - which could earn Warwickshire County Council up to £220k a year. Enforcement on the roads is currently carried out by Warwickshire Police, although a council report this week acknowledged that capacity is 'limited'.
Bowls team injured in tree branch fall at Midlands park
A council investigation has been launched into why a tree branch fell on a Leamington bowling green despite "no indication" of problems. Three competitors in Bowls England's Para Bowls qualifiers received medical attention after the branch fell on the green at Victoria Park, Leamington Spa, on Sunday, June 21. The area was fenced off ahead of Warwickshire County Council's forestry department coming back to remove the rest of the tree.
Code of conduct complaint for council leader over libraries plan
Shannen Headley - West Midlands; Andy Mitchell - Local Democracy Reporting Service Thu 11 June 2026 at 7:44 am UTC 5 min read Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.
Former Warwickshire Reform UK deputy leader branded political assistants 'a waste of money'
The former deputy leader of Warwickshire County Council advocated getting rid of taxpayer-funded political assistants just months after his own party brought them in. Councillor Stephen Shaw (Reform UK, Polesworth), who was in charge of budget setting and leader Councillor George Finch's ( Reform UK, Bedworth Central) right-hand man at the time, made the comments away from the public eye but in front of elected officials and staff ahead of February's budget.
McDonald's granted 24-hour opening after trial
Following a 12-month trial there were no noise complaints, Warwick District Council heard [Google] A McDonald's fast-food restaurant has been given permission to stay open for 24-hours after a successful trial period. The outlet, based on the site of a Tesco supermarket on Emscote Road, Warwick, was originally restricted to opening from 06:00 BST until 23:00, following complaints over noise and anti-social behaviour.
New leader of the opposition vows not to soften style
The new leader of the opposition at Warwickshire County Council has vowed not to quell her forceful nature despite a year of febrile meetings. Cllr Sarah Boad, who is also Mayor of Leamington 2026-7, recently stepped up from deputy to outright group leader of the second-largest party at Shire Hall.
Warwickshire Police missed prosecution deadlines letting 16 drink drivers escape justice
Voters in Nuneaton and Bedworth have had their say in the 2026 local elections. Seats on Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council were up for election in …
Midlands planners could be stripped of power over major decisions
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & Matt LLoyd Warwick District Council faces the prospect of losing authority over major planning decisions after too many refusals were overturned on appeal. Central government assesses performance by examining how many significant applications are turned down by local authorities but subsequently approved by the Planning Inspectorate compared to the total number of substantial applications received.
Councillors demand probe into George Finch conduct leak
Councillors of all stripes have backed a call for Warwickshire County Council to pay for an external investigation into how the result of George Finch's conduct probe was made public. Conservative group leader Cllr Adrian Warwick moved an emergency procedural motion to ask the authority to commission an external party – as opposed to the council's own legal team – to look into the matter "for transparency and public confidence".
Reform UK leader survives vote of no confidence by one vote
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & Matt LLoyd Leader of Warwickshire County Council George Finch has survived a challenge to oust him by one vote despite a Conservative breaking ranks to vote against him. Councillor Finch ( Reform UK , Bedworth Central) received crucial backing from six out of the seven Tories present and two Reform-supporting independents while Restore Britain's two ex-Reform councillors opted against voting either way, resulting in a 27-26 victory for the leader.
How Conservatives could control the fate of Reform UK's youngest council leader
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter Nine Conservative councillors hold the future of Warwickshire County Council in their hands after rival parties declared their positions on the future of leader George Finch.
Covid could be behind rise in Stratford strays
People buying pets during the Covid-19 lockdown could be one of the reasons behind an increase in the number of stray dogs, as figures show the number found in Stratford-on-Avon more than doubled. 44 were collected by the District Council in 2024, compared to 19 in 2023. The figures were revealed at a meeting of the authority's regulatory committee, which also showed 41 were recovered in the area and boarded by the council in 2025.
Reform UK's youngest council leader faces no confidence vote in Midlands
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & Matt LLoyd The leader of Warwickshire County Council, George Finch, is facing an attempt to oust him from his position next week. A vote of no confidence will be put forward by Green Party group leader Councillor Jonathan Chilvers (Leamington Brunswick) at Tuesday's full council meeting (March 17), founded on a scathing evaluation of Councillor Finch's ( Reform UK , Bedworth Central) alleged conduct throughout his eight months at the helm.
Under-fire Arthur Terry Learning Partnership set for scrutiny grilling by education chiefs
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & Matt LLoyd Warwickshire councillors plan to grill bosses of the academy trust at the heart of last month's high-profile staff strikes. Hundreds of staff associated with 20 Midlands schools under The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership formed picket lines for a number of days on the back of proposed redundancies to deal with multi-million pound losses.
Midlands highways boss says crude pothole fixes 'a necessary evil' after 'difficult few months'
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & Matt LLoyd A Warwickshire County Council director insists crude short-term pothole fixes are a necessary evil – despite agreeing that complaints about them are "justified". Prolonged wet weather has seen the county request 4,962 fixes across the first two months of this year, almost triple the 1,678 raised across the same period in 2025.
Midlands landlords to be grilled over mould problems in rental homes
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & Matt LLoyd Private and social landlords are poised to face questioning from Warwickshire councillors regarding "horrific problems" brought to their attention concerning mould in properties.
Midland school with 12 pupils set to close
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & James Cartledge A Midland school with just 12 pupils could shut at the end of this academic year. Great Alne Primary in Warwickshire has capacity for 112 children but is running at less than ten per cent of that maximum. It was found to require improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection last year. Warwickshire County Council's cabinet will make a final closure decision in April with the school's financial position considered unsustainable.
Midlands council leader slams Aldi and other developers over 'continuous lies'
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & Matt LLoyd The leader of Warwick District Council lamented residents were "continuously lied to by developers" in a rant related to Aldi's store in Leamington Spa. The supermarket giant was slammed last month for trying to open up to customers what is currently a delivery-only access connected to Queensway. Planning conditions put in place when the store was built dictate customers must access via the roundabout linked to Tachbrook Park Drive.
Budget supermarket Aldi slammed over 'dangerous' plans at Midlands store
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & Matt LLoyd Supermarket giant Aldi has come under fire for attempting to open an access point at its Leamington Spa store that critics argued would force "people to step into the traffic". Warwick District Council's planning committee unanimously voted to postpone a decision on whether Aldi should be permitted to open a currently delivery-only route to customers, due to safety concerns.
Panel to consider asking for May elections to be axed at Midlands Council
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & Matt LLoyd A six-strong panel of councillors in charge of a Midlands will decide whether to ask the government to scrap May's local elections on Thursday. The national government has asked for the views of all councils that are scheduled to go through the process of local government reorganisation and hold ballots this year to establish whether votes should go ahead.
What help will rough sleepers get during icy blast?
Plans are in place to help keep people keep warm as the severe temperatures look set to continue [PA Media] Emergency plans for homeless people on the streets in Lancashire are being brought together as the recent big freeze looks set to continue - and a storm is also on the way. The county's severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP) sees local partners across the area working to get vulnerable people off the streets when temperatures fall below zero for at least three nights in a row.
Standing ovation for Midlands councillor using cancer battle to improve services
Andy Mitchell & Local Democracy Reporter & Matt LLoyd One of the MIdlands' most experienced councillors has revealed his personal battle with cancer whilst campaigning for enhanced health services in Rugby. Councillor Jerry Roodhouse, who leads the Liberal Democrat group at both Warwickshire County Council and Rugby Borough Council, secured unanimous backing and a standing ovation from his borough peers after proposing plans to establish a Rugby health partnership agreement.
Comedy Contest Gong Wrong thrives at Barnsley Comedy Club with exciting new nights planned
Up and coming comic Marty Riley from Huddersfield was overjoyed to win comedy competition Gong Wrong at Barnsley Comedy Club, where the winner is chosen by the audience. Marty was one of four acts who performed in front of a packed crowd and went head to head to see who could get the most laughs - with Marty having the crowds in fits of laughter with his alternative act.
Warwickshire councillor shares cancer battle while pushing for better Rugby health services
Jerry Roodhouse calls for local healthcare access and compassionate care Author: Andy Mitchell, Local Democracy Reporting ServicePublished 15 minutes ago Last updated 9 minutes ago Warwickshire’s longest-serving councillor Jerry Roodhouse has opened up about his personal experience with cancer as he campaigns for improved healthcare services in Rugby.
Heritage trams 'taking a lot more to maintain'
Keeping Blackpool's heritage trams running involves "a lot of challenges", the resort's transport boss has said. The popular attraction was suspended in December due to safety fears and issues with depot space. Two trams - including one decorated in the style of a ship - are running along the seafront during the Lightpool Festival, which continues until 1 November and features an array of light installations.
County's longest serving councillor granted honour
Warwickshire County Council's longest-serving councillor said he was "deeply moved" to have been granted the freedom of the county. Liberal Democrat councillor Jerry Roodhouse has served at Shire Hall for more than 32 years, and also acted as Rugby Borough Council's millennium mayor three years ago. He was unanimously voted as an honorary freeman of Warwickshire at a full council meeting on Tuesday, prompting county officials to start thumbing the record books.
Council to use power to sell off closed shops
A council is set to be one of the first in the country to be able to auction off leases on retail units which have lain empty for a year or more. Rugby Borough Council is planning to adopt powers available to it to auction off leases on privately-owned retail units left vacant in the town centre. The move comes after the council reported in June that nearly one in four units in the town are empty, compared to the national average of one in seven.
Flag policy 'deeply unsettling' for LGBTQ+ staff
Warwickshire County Council's LGBTQ+ staff group has warned of the "deeply unsettling" effect of not guaranteeing that the Pride flag will be flown at the council headquarters in the future. The Progress Pride flag was removed outside the Shire Hall, in Warwick, at the request of the council's new leader, Reform UK councillor George Finch. A new policy which states the UK, England and county flags will be flown outside the building was recently approved by the authority's cabinet.
Opposition councillors to challenge new flag policy
Opposition councillors are set to challenge Warwickshire County Council's new flag policy after it was passed despite representation from the authority's LGBTQ+ group. The authority's cabinet has approved a policy that states the Union flag, the St George's Cross and county flags will be flown from three flagpoles outside the Shire Hall, in Warwick.
Warwickshire firefighters eligible for extended maternity pay to combat cancer risks
Studies shows toxins from fires put firefighters at an increased risk of developing cancer and breastfeeding mothers can pass these toxins to their babies Author: Andy Mitchell, LDRS reporterPublished 8 hours ago Last updated 8 hours ago Warwickshire firefighters are to be eligible for 48 weeks of maternity pay in a bid to combat cancer risks for new mothers and their babies.
Reform UK's Warwickshire flag policy published ahead of cabinet decision next week
Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy Microsoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
Club's new football stadium faces further delays
A football club may have to wait another six years for a new stadium, with further delays confirmed in a council report. Leamington FC, currently located on Harbury Lane in the Warwickshire town, may not be able to move into its new stadium until 2031, despite council officers targeting a July 2028 opening in a presentation last year.
Flag policy to come forward to councillors in September despite 'discriminatory' fears
Reform UK will bring forward a flag policy for Warwickshire County Council in September with wary rivals braced to oppose. Leader Cllr George Finch confirmed he is in dialogue with senior council officials as to whether the decision should be taken by the cabinet – the panel of Reform UK councillors in charge of major service areas – or taken to a vote of all councillors.
Parking restrictions approved for Leamington industrial estate despite objections
Plans to wipe out on-street parking for a chunk of a Leamington industrial estate have been approved by Warwickshire County Council despite a mixed reaction. Double yellow lines are set to be installed on most sections of Hawkes Drive, Collins Road, and Harriott Drive, which are currently free for vehicles to park on, in order to improve visibility and access, particularly for lorries and larger vehicles transporting goods to and from the area.
County council hits out at new housing plans
Plans for new homes around Rugby and surrounding villages have been opposed by Warwickshire County Council. Rugby Borough Council set out the proposals in an update to its local plan, which states where new housing and businesses should go. The county council echoed concerns raised by Conservative councillors in the borough that plans for an extra 3,500 homes were flawed.
Murderer who fled jailed for at least 23 years
Murderer who fled jailed for at least 23 years Thomas Dures handed himself in at a police station in Greece [Lancashire Police] A man who fatally stabbed a teenager, then went on the run for 18 months, has been jailed for at least 23 years. Matthew Daulby, 19, from Liverpool, was knifed in the chest after two groups clashed outside a bar in Ormskirk, Lancashire, on 29 July 2023.
West Midlands mayor accused of ‘political’ rejection of Warwickshire
West Midlands mayor Richard Parker has come under fire for rejecting the idea of Warwickshire joining his combined authority – and one region's councillors aren't taking it lying down. Warwickshire is one of a number of areas tasked with abolishing its six councils and two levels of local government to form one or more unitary authorities to run all services.
Warwickshire County Council: Reform councillor “deeply angered” by wiping of slave traders from history
A member of the Reform UK cabinet that runs Warwickshire County Council has ripped into "woke" methods of denouncing historical British slave traders. Cllr Mike Bannister, the county's portfolio holder for customer and localities, unleashed his views while introducing the council's modern slavery statement during Thursday's meeting of cabinet – the panel in charge of major service areas.
Council apologises for SEND communication failings
A council has apologised for communication issues over changes to mandatory training for councillors around children with special educational needs. Nigel Minns, Warwickshire County Council's executive director for children and young people, acknowledged that, while the training had been produced with help from families involved, the language used in communications might have led councillors to believe otherwise.
Warwickshire County Council: Six-week window for public to inspect financial documents is about to start
Members of the public will have the chance to inspect Warwickshire County Council's accounts – and the paperwork behind them – from next week. Having done their sums for the financial year, councils are legally obliged to make available all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts for a period of 30 working days. The rights extend to all Warwickshire residents on the electoral roll, people with an interest – for example those who work or pay rates in the county – and journalists.
Hundreds of new school places proposed
An extra 300 pupils could attend a school in Rugby if council plans go forward. A consultation is under way to add another 60 children per year group at Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College, the only secondary school in the north of Rugby. The proposal also includes the creation of a specialist resourced provision – a dedicated section within a mainstream school – for 20 students with special educational needs and disabilities.
Warwickshire County Council elections: Q&A with Reform UK
With the Warwickshire County Council elections taking place on Thursday 1 May, the Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to each of the political parties vying for power at Shire Hall about why they should gain your vote. While Reform UK is not represented at Warwickshire County Council, the party has enjoyed a sharp rise nationally, returning five MPs (now four) to Westminster last year and polls suggest they could cut through in the 2025 local elections.
Solar farm plans narrowly approved by councillors
Plans for a huge solar farm in the Warwickshire countryside have been narrowly approved by a single vote. Objectors to the proposed site on Fosse Way in Moreton Morrell had voiced concerns over its potential impact on wildlife and the loss of farming land and heritage. Planning officers recommended approval after they argued the benefits of clean energy. The work applicants, Innova Renewables, had also agreed to create wildlife habitats.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Andy
Contact Andy, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack