SHAWBURY PARISH COUNCIL

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - May 2022

On Tuesday May 10^th. two Shawbury Council meetings were held in the Village Hall.  

        
The first was the Annual Parish Meeting which was open to all residents, giving an opportunity to meet with Councillors to discuss Parish issues or raise concerns.  The meeting included interesting and informative reports from the Parish Council Chairman John Kennedy, Shropshire Councillor Simon Jones and Mr. Richard Bailey from the United Charities.

This meeting was followed by the Annual General Meeting of the Council when Councillor Brian Lyon was elected as the new Council Chairman replacing Councillor John Kennedy who was warmly thanked by all the Members for the valued service he had given throughout the past two years which had been a very difficult time.  Councillor Adrian Brown was then elected as the new Vice Chairman.

As usual a wide range of topics were considered including:

Streetlights:                                                                                                                                                     
It was noted that E.ON had converted most of the Councils streetlights so that they automatically switched off at midnight, bringing them into line with the lights managed by Shropshire Council and saving considerable energy costs. E.ON had reported that things were beginning to return to some form of normality and they were intent on getting the work in Bridgeway and Millbrook Drive completed. They had provided a quotation for undertaking work to provide an improved service in Church Street and Members confirmed they were prepared to accept the quote as soon as the other outstanding work had been completed. 
The Council were still having difficulties with Scottish Power who supply the electricity and seem reluctant to enter into discussions with the Council about the very high increase in power costs.

 Highways:

Concerns were raised about the lack of action by Shropshire Council in dealing with the roundabout design at the A53/Oakwood Park location and advertising the new traffic order related to speed limit changes on the A53.

Playing Field Fencing:

It was reported that several more posts were rotting away but this had been anticipated and budgeted for and Councillor P. Sharp agreed to arrange replacements on the same basis as was carried out last year.

Burial Ground:

Councillor K. Pickering reported that he had been spending time working in the area and had identified the need for some extensive work to be carried out on two pathways, which would incur some cost. He indicated that he was prepared to do the work voluntarily but was asked to provide an estimate of the cost of the materials. He was thanked for the work that he was doing.

Planning Applications:

Three new applications were considered and Members supported the revised plans for the development of the proposed sports complex but objected strongly to an application to place advertising signs on the A53 Roundabout and for amendments to the approved plans for land adjacent to 122 Church Street.

The minutes of the meeting which include other items discussed at the meeting can be found on the Council web site – www.shawbury-pc.gov.uk

COUNCIL NEWS – MARCH 2022

The March meeting was held in the Village Hall when as usual a varied programme of business was conducted including:

Streetlights

The main item for consideration was the confirmation from Scottish Power that they were increasing the cost of providing power for the streetlights from 12p to 47p per kWh, which means that the annual account would rise from £2,600.00 to £10,200.00, and have a major effect on the Council’s budget.   

A number of suggestions were considered on ways of reducing the cost but it was finally decided that the most appropriate action was to bring the provision into line with Shropshire Council and many other Parish Councils by operating a dusk to midnight service rather than an all-night one. The cost of converting the lights had been quoted at £3,603.00 but it was anticipated that the annual savings on power would mean this would be paid for in less than twelve months and then give on-going savings. There was a unanimous decision to go ahead with this and to get the conversion of the lights carried out as soon as possible. It was pointed out that the estates in the Parish which are controlled by Shropshire Council are already on the dusk to midnight system.

Community Service Awards

Each year the Council presents awards to residents who have given exceptional service to the Community and in the twelve years it has been running over fifty people have been honoured with the award. A resident in the Parish can nominate anyone who lives or works in the Parish simply by sending details of the person to the Parish Clerk, with the reason they are being nominated. This needs to be done before the next Council meeting on April 12^th. when Members consider and confirm the nominations. We are pleased to acknowledge the support RAF Shawbury continues to give by sponsoring the awards and arranging for a Senior Officer to present them at the Annual Parish Meeting in May.

RAF Shawbury Nomination.

The Council has always been pleased to have a nominated representative from the RAF Shawbury at Council meetings which allows for the exchange of valuable information and this month Members were delighted to welcome F.S. Matt Lingham as the new representative. Matt has been stationed at Shawbury for four years and hopes to be here for at least four more and welcomed the opportunity to become involved with Parish Council activities.

Grants.

Each year the Council sets aside a small budget to allow it to give small grants to deserving Charities or causes. This year £150.00 has been donated to each of the following - Hope House Hospice; The Severn Hospice; Crane Counselling and the Local First Responders.

Web Site:

You are reminded that full minutes of the meeting and a range of other information can be found on the Council’s web site www.shawbury-pc.gov.uk and that issues or concerns can be raised with the Clerk by email on shawburypcclerk@talktalk.netor by ‘phone on 01743 236810

FEBRUARY 2022 NEWS

Council Meeting:

The latest meeting was held on February 8^th. when as usual a range of topics were considered including:

Highways:

There were a number of reports relating to potholes and broken signs but Members were particularly concerned about the two incidents which had taken place on the crossing by the shops, when cars had failed to stop when the red light was on. It has been suggested that the crossing should be relocated but this appears to be the most appropriate position and is was agreed that Shropshire Council should be asked to re-paint all the warning white lines and consider the erection of a warning sign. The Council is still pushing Shropshire Council to make improvements to the roundabout on the A53, which has proven to be not fit for purpose.

Streetlights:

(a)Bridgeway and Millbrook;

In spite of continuous pressure, Eon have still not been able to complete the work and it appears that they are still suffering from staff shortages and the ability to purchase equipment. We can only apologise and hope that the removal of Covid restrictions will enable them to catch up on outstanding work.

(b) Church Street and part of Poynton Road:

Members considered a detailed report prepared by Councillor Adrian Brown which highlighted the need to improve the lighting in this area of the Village. It was decided that a meeting needed to be held with the contractors to discuss the feasibility of the improvements before seeking a quotation for the work.

(c) Electricity Charges:

It seems likely that there will be a substantial increase in the cost of electricity and a detailed survey is being undertaken to try and limit the impact on the Council’s budget.

Litter Collection:

The Council is pleased to announce that Mr. Varndell has been contracted to collect waste from The Playing Field, the car park and the Moat and Glebe areas.

It would help him and all the users of these open space areas if irresponsible dog owners took the trouble to pick up the waste that their dogs leave by using the bags and the bins that are now provided. If they can’t be bothered then it is questionable as to whether they should own a dog

Play Area:

In the latest safety report it was noted that bolts on some equipment had been loosened and this can leave the equipment in a dangerous state. This has happened in the past and it is thought to be an act of vandalism and we would ask you all to keep an eye out for anyone acting suspiciously.

Shropshire Council News:

Shropshire Councillor S. Jones was unable to attend the meeting but had forwarded a detailed written report of Shropshire Council’s activities and this was distributed to Members.

The report covered a range of topics including Economic Development; Children’s Services; Resources and Staffing; Climate Change and Adult Services.  A copy of the report can be obtained from the Clerk

RAF Representative:

Lt. Peters had notified Members that he was unable to attend the meeting as he had been posted and would be leaving Shawbury towards the end of the month. He thanked everyone for their kindness and support and wished the Council future good fortune. The new representative would be FS Matt Lingham and he would be attending the March meeting.

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS January 2022

Having needed to cancel the December meeting of the Council because of unclear Covid regulations, Members were pleased to be able to hold the January meeting in the Village Hall.

Before the official business began, tributes were paid to two long standing parishioners who had been closely involved in Council and Community work but had recently passed away. Gail Matthews had served on the Council for several years and played a major role working the with local young people whilst Trevor Creber, had for the past fifteen years, undertaken the unenviable task of collecting litter from the playing field and other areas and regularly emptying the waste bins. Both will be sorely missed.

The business discussed in the full meeting included:

The Budget for 2022- 2023

The budget prepared by the Clerk in consultation with the Chairman had been sent to Members for consideration prior to the meeting and after due consideration was approved. The Council’s precept was frozen at last year’s level which means there will be no increase in the Parish element of next year’s Council Tax.

Full details of the budget can be found on the Council’s web site or obtained by contacting the Parish Clerk.

Lord Lieutenant’s Garden Party:

Members unanimously agreed that Jenni Jarvis should be the Parish recipient of an invite to attend the planned Garden Party being held in the summer to acknowledge activities carried out to support residents before and throughout the pandemic.

Community Speed Watch:

Are you concerned about the excessive speed of many vehicles on local roads? If so, this is your opportunity to take positive action as the Council is looking for committed volunteers to join a Community Speed Watch team. Team members are trained to carry out checks on vehicle speed and record the registration number of those exceeding the speed limit. These details are passed to the police and the owner of the vehicle is sent a warning letter. If you would like to be involved simply get in touch with the Clerk who will be happy to give you further information.

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee:

It was decided that the Council would not undertake special events for the Queen’s forthcoming Platinum Jubilee but would be prepared to offer support to official organisations in the Parish which may wish to arrange activities.

Pavement Clearance:

It was noted that Mr. John Tait had carried out excellent work in clearing several major pavements in the Parish with many residents making complimentary comments about the quality of the work. This project is part funded by Shropshire Council, who make a grant of £1,500 to the Parish which then has to match fund another £1,500.

Correspondence:

Since the previous meeting of the Council over fifty items had been received by the Clerk on all manner of topics and these had been forwarded to Members for consideration and response.

Reports:

Reports were received from Shropshire Councillor Simon Jones and Lt. Matt Peters from RAF Shawbury details of which can be found in the minutes of the meeting which are published on the Council’s web site or can be obtained from the Clerk.

Contact Details:

Full details of Council activities can be found on the Council web site www.shawbury-pc.gov.ukand the Clerk can be contacted by email at shawburypcclerk@talktalk.netor by phone on 01743236810.

Parish Council News: November 2021

The November meeting was held in the Village Hall when the Chairman welcomed Community Support Officer Jamie Robinson who pointed out that there were now only two police officers based in Wem with responsibility for the whole area. As a result it was difficult to attend Council meetings or have a regular police presence in Parishes. He stated that the Police were aware that a major concern in the Parish related to excessive traffic speed but would welcome feed-back on other issues of concern.

It was pointed out by Members that there appeared to be an increase in the use of drugs in the playing field area and that there was great concern about the number of drivers who ignored the red light signals at the A53/ Wem Road junction and the pedestrian crossing by the shops.

He promised to try and arrange action on both issues and also get details of the Safer Road Partnership sent to the Clerk.

In the meeting which followed Members considered the following:

Playing Field Posts:

Inspection of the posts around the field showed that eleven posts were missing and several others were showing signs of decay, leaving gaps sufficiently wide enough to allow vehicular access onto the field. It was decided to take emergency action to replace some posts to prevent access and toconsider a range of options before getting quotations for replacing all the posts.

Pavement Clearance:

The Council is aware that many of the pavements in the Parish need to be cleared of grass and weed growth and have reported the problem to the local Highways Officer. She has advised the Parish Council to undertake the work using the Community Environment Project grant it receives and an immediate start has been made to clear the worst paths.

Car Park – White Lining:

The Council has received a number of requests to re-line the parking bays on the Council car parkand after considering various options it has been decided to carry out a self-help project by repainting the lines using appropriate paint which dries very quickly.

Street Lights:

Completion of the work in Bridgeway and Millbrook appears to be a never ending problem and we can only add our apologies to that of the EON officer who is overseeing the work. Having now got all the staff back to work they find that it is impossible to secure the materials that are needed to complete the connection work and the suppliers are unable to give a date when they may be available. Emailing the Clerk, Garry Johnson, who is responsible for the project, stated that in all the years that he has worked he has never been so disappointed, frustrated, depressed and angry.

Lord Lieutenant’s Garden Party – June 2022 – Invitations.

The Parish has been asked to nominate two people from the Community to receive an invitation, who should be people who have been very involved in giving support during the Coronavirus crisis. If you are aware of anyone you feel should be invited, please let the Chairman or the Clerk have their details without their knowledge.

 A copy of the minutes is available on the Councils web site www.shawbury-pc.gov.ukand

as always, if you wish to raise any issues or comment on Council activity you are invited to attend a Council meeting or make contact with one of your Councillors or the Parish Clerk.