Using Access Control will place a cookie onto your machine - More info
Access Controls: | Default Contrast | Extra Large Text - Large Text |

Shawbury Parish Council

Shropshire, UK

Home / Latest News

LATEST NEWS

SHAWBURY PARISH COUNCIL

NEWS ITEMS

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

SHAWBURY PARISH COUNCIL
Parish Clerk:  Jack Wilson
6, Primrose Drive, Sutton Park, Shrewsbury, SY3 7TP
01743 236810
Email: shawburypcclerk@talktalk.net
 
Vacancy for a Gardener
 
Required from April 1st. 2017, a qualified and competent self- employed gardener 
to carry out regular hand mowing of children’s play areas; pruning of shrubs at various locations and hedge cutting duties.
 
Must hold a pesticide users licence.
 
References required.
 
Anyone interested is invited to contact the Parish Clerk for full details of what is involved.
SHAWBURY PARISH COUNCIL
Parish Clerk:  Jack Wilson
6, Primrose Drive, Sutton Park, Shrewsbury, SY3 7TP
01743 236810
Email: shawburypcclerk@talktalk.net
 

SHAWBURY PARISH COUNCIL

March 2024 
At the meeting held on March 12th. the following are some of the items which were considered:                                                                     

Council Vacancy:
As there has been no call for an election the Council has been tasked with co-opting a new member. Advertisements have been placed and it is hoped an appointment will be made at the Council meeting in May.

Community Service Awards:
Members were informed that there had only been two nominations, both of which had to be discounted as one person had already received an award and the other was a serving Councillor. This meant that no awards would be made this year at the Annual Parish Meeting on May 14th.

Grants
Each year the Council budgets £1,000.00 to enable it to make small grants to deserving Charities or local organisations. This year Members have selected Shawbury Brownies, Guides and Scouts for the major award with smaller grants given to Hope House, The Hospice, Crane Counselling and Shawbury First Responders.                                                                       

Playing Field Boundary:
After wide consultation, it was decided to seek quotations for the erection of a low metal barrier fence between the current wooden posts and the path which goes around the field and then remove the posts as they become rotten. Suggestions that a hedge or trees should be planted had regretfully been discounted as the main purpose of the fence is to prevent unwanted vehicles from accessing the field.             

Street Lights:
Quotations are being obtained from Highline the Council’s contractors to provide an additional light in Carradine Close and improvements to the lighting on Church Street and Poynton Road. These plans had already been discussed with E.On before their contract with the Council was withdrawn.

Shropshire Council:
Councillor Simon Jones reported that Shropshire Council was on track to balance the 2023/24 budget using some of the reserves it has and has set a balanced budget for 2024-25 by making £62 million of savings. This will lead to noticeable reductions in discretionary spending including the library service and increases in fees, charges, car parking, etc. There will be a charge for collecting green waste of about £52.00 per annum with an opt-out option.

RAF Shawbury
Flt/Lt. Jones gave an interesting report on activities including details of night flying which would commence again on March 25th. and continue until May 9th.  He passed on thanks to the Community for their tolerance of this essential training and stated that full details can be found on the RAF Shawbury webpage. They are also reviewing their list of local contacts to enable more information to be given to vulnerable people or businesses about planned activities which may impact on them. Please let them or the Council know if you want further information.

February 24

A number of topics were considered at the Council Meeting held in the Village Hall on 13th. February, including:

Council Allotment:
It was noted that planning approval had been given for a replacement shed which will be erected in the near future. The shed is replacing the dilapidated one on the site and will be used mainly to house small tools and equipment belonging to the Council, which are currently stored in Councillors’ sheds or garages.

Fun Day
Following a request from the organisers of the event, the Council has agreed to support the resumption of the Annual Fun Day and this will be held on the 1st. June on the newly established Football Ground. Book the date in your diary and further details will be published soon. If you are interested in being involved or would like to help, please let the Parish Clerk know and he will pass on your details to the organisers.

Community Service Awards:
The Council is asking residents to nominate people who have or are giving exceptional service in the Parish. Recipients of the award need to either live or work in the Parish and as well as the standard award there are awards for those under eighteen years of age and a group award. Serving Councillors may not be nominated unless it is for an activity that is not connected to their Council work. Further details can be obtained from the Clerk and nominations should be sent to him before March 31st.

Junior Football:
Some of you may have noticed that junior football games have re-started on the Playing Field and this is because the organisers have currently lost the use of facilities at RAF Shawbury and the new field is not yet fully operational. This will continue until the end of the season and we ask everyone to keep the playing area free from litter and to ensure that any dog faeces are completely removed from the field. We would like to remind every dog owner that it is their legal responsibility to pick up and dispose of their dog’s waste. Thankfully responsible dog owners already do this.

Resignation:
Mr. Christopher Kirkup has resigned from the Council for personal reasons which means there is now a vacancy for a replacement Councillor. The National Regulations have to be followed and the first step is to see if at least ten electors ask for an election to be held. If this does not happen the Council will need to advertise the vacancy and then co-opt someone.

The Fence round the Field
This has been mentioned before and Members are still wrestling with the best way to deal with the problem. They are grateful for the responses received from residents but the main purpose of the fence is to prevent unwanted vehicles accessing the field. This means that planting a hedge or a number or trees does not meet the criteria and solve the problem. A range of options are being looked at with advice being sought from several suppliers. In the meantime Councillor Paul Sharp has agreed to oversee the replacement of the current posts which are rotting away. If on your travels you have seen an acceptable solution – please let us know.

Street Lights:
Prior to the outbreak of COVID and the subsequent breakdown of relations with E.ON, quotes had been received from them for an additional light in Carradine Road and an up-grade of the lights in Church Street and Poynton Road. After consideration it was agreed that Highline Electrical should be invited to meet with the Vice Chairman and provide new quotations for consideration.

A full copy of the Minutes of the meeting can be found on the Councils web site www.shawbury-pc.gov.ukand the Clerk can be contacted at 6, Primrose Drive, Shrewsbury SY3 7TP or by email at shawburypcclerk@talktalk.net.


December 2023

The latest meeting of the Council took place on Tuesday 12th. December and as usual a range of issues were considered. These included:

Council Budget for 2024-2025:  
By careful budgeting and with the help of volunteer work it has been possible to ensure that this financial year ends well within the planned expenditure and has enabled the Council to request the same precept from Shropshire Council for next year. This means that the Parish Council element of the Council Tax should not be increased for residents living within the Shawbury Parish boundary.
The full budget can be found on the Council’s web site or can be obtained from the Parish Clerk by sending in a request accompanied by a stamped and addressed envelope.

Allotment:
As the Council now owns the allotment, it has submitted a planning request to allow it to erect a new substantial shed on the site of the old dilapidated one. This will enable the Council to store a range of hand tools which currently have to be kept in Councillors sheds or garages.

(b) Playing Field Fencing
I
t was decided that there is a need to find a suitable more permanent solution to the fencing round the playing field and it was decided to seek quotes from at least three companies early in the New Year. It was noted that a sizable grant had been offered by a local resident if the Council opted to plant trees along the boundary. Although this was a splendid suggestion it could not be accepted as the fencing needs to be substantial to prevent unwanted vehicle access on to the field.

Cars Parking:
Numerous complaints had been received about cars parking on pavements, causing problems for pedestrians, wheelchair users and people with pushchairs. The police have been advised of the problem and will be undertaking suitable action.

Tree Problem:
A report had been received from a Shropshire Council Tree Officer pointing out that a problem had been raised about three trees (two oak and one sycamore) growing at the junction of the A53 and Wytheford Road. No one seems to know when and why the trees were planted but if you have any information please contact the Parish Clerk.  It is being suggested that the sycamore needs to be removed to allow the oak trees to develop properly. However that can only be done following a properly submitted planning application.

 War Memorial:
A detailed report on the history of the Shawbury War Memorial has been completed by Ms. Natasha Leigh Willets and was offered to the Parish Council for a small payment to defray some of the cost of materials. Members were so impressed by the report that it has been purchased and donated to the Church, where it is hoped local residents can view it.

As always the full minutes of the meeting can be found on the Council web site -
.www.shawbury-pc.gov.uk and the Clerk can be contacted at shawburypcclerk@talktalk.net  Telephone 01743 236810.


October 2023

The October meeting was held in the Village Hall when the following main items were considered:

Playing Field Name:
The suggestion that the playing field could be called Queen’s Park had raised so much adverse reaction from residents that there was unanimous support from Members when the Chairman proposed that further discussion of the idea should be cancelled and plans abandoned.

Electricity Costs:
With the assistance of Shropshire Council’s Street Light Officers, it appears that the difficulties the Council has been having with Scottish Power have been resolved. The Council has joined a consortium of Councils linked to Shropshire Council, which has been able to secure a slightly lower price per unit of electricity and the money due to the Council for nearly eighteen months has been re-paid. Even with the reduction in the time the lights are lit, powering the lights will still cost the Parish over £5,000.00 per year which is over £1.00 per week for each light.

Environment Maintenance Grant:
The Council has again secured a grant of £1,500.00 from Shropshire Council to carry out various maintenance work within the Parish. This grant has to be matched with a similar amount from Parish Council funds and has mainly been used to improve the standard of badly neglected pavements, some of which were virtually unusable.  JST, who have received many complements on the work they have carried out in the past, have been contracted again and if you are aware of any work needed on pavements in your area please let the Council have the details and hopefully they can be dealt with.

Playing Field Security:
When the original hedge surrounding the playing field was removed a few years ago it was decided to replace it with the current set of posts, which were designed to prevent access to the field by unwanted vehicles. These posts are all rotting away and are being replaced by similar ones which will only have a limited life span. This is an expensive operation and there is a need to consider alternative methods of protecting the field. A few  Members have agreed   to consider this in more detail and would welcome any suggestions.

As always the full minutes from the meeting as well as all Council information can be found of the Council’s web site - www.shawbury-pc.gov.uk

 


September 2023  
 
Queen’s Park:                                                                                                                                                      
Firstly an abject apology for an error in last month’s report indicating that the suggested change of 
name to Queen’s Park referred to the Playing Field, the Moat and Glebe, whereas it was only the 
Playing Field that was being considered for the new name. Sincere thanks to everyone who 
responded showing the high regard so many people have for the Moat and the Glebe, which is so 
encouraging and shared by all the Councillors. The Council will continue to try and find the resources 
to maintain these areas to a high standard but will always welcome the help of volunteer labour. 
Assurance is given that any major new policies being considered by the Council will always be 
subject to public consultation and response before any decisions are made                                   .  
Because the Chairman was unable to attend the September meeting, he had asked that any 
discussion related to this proposal should be referred to the October meeting and it will now be 
included on that Agenda. 
 
Street Lights:                                                                                                                                                              
At long last the project to replace old concrete columns in Bridgeway and Millbrook has been 
completed and thanks are extended to the new contractors Highline Electrical for completing the 
work. A breakdown in industrial relations between Scottish Power who supply the electricity and 
E.ON had stalled the project for nearly two years.  Unfortunately the Council is still in dispute with 
Scottish Power over the return of identified excessive charges for electricity but in spite of continued 
efforts they seem reluctant to respond to correspondence from the Council. 
 
A53 repairs and resurfacing:                                                                                                                                  
Hopefully you will have seen the various news items that the A53 from Battlefield to Hodnet will be 
subject to closure between 8.00pm and 6.00am from the 5th to the 7th. of October whilst re-surfacing 
is carried out– alternative routes will be signposted. 

Minutes:                                                                                                                                                                     
As usual the minutes of the September meeting can be found on the Councils web site –

 

www.shawbury-pc.gov.uk and the Clerk can be contacted on shawburypcclerk@talktalk.net. 

August 2023

Unlike many Parish Councils, Shawbury continues to meet in August each year and the latest meeting was held on Tuesday the 8th  August when as usual a range of issues were  considered

Included was an item to approve the up-dated Council’s policy documents, all of which can be found on the Council web site and also a full review of the information in Shropshire Councils Place Plan for Shawbury.  It was agreed that a number of the listed needs had already been achieved but others should be added, particularly related to the poor state of the highways and problems with the pedestrian crossing and the traffic lights. These details have been passed on to Shropshire Council for inclusion in the revised plan which will be published later this year.

Queens Park:                                                                                                                                        

One important topic which was discussed was a proposal to collectively name the Moat, The Glebe and the Playing Field ‘Queens Park’, in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II. It was originally considered at the time of her death but approval to use the name had to be obtained from the Diocese and Cabinet Office. This has now been received but before a decision is made, Members would like to receive responses about the proposal from local residents. You can send your comments to the Parish Clerk either by Email or post at the addresses listed at the end of this report.  Alternatively you are welcome to voice them in the public session at the start of the next Council meeting, which will be held in the Village Hall on Tuesday, September 12th. at 7.00pm when the proposal will be considered in detail.

Speeding Traffic

The Parish Council has already installed a number of Vehicle Activated Speed units on the major roads in the Parish but it has been suggested that these should be up-dated to more modern versions giving out other messages, which many of you will have seen at various locations The Clerk has been tasked with identifying the cost of doing this before a final decision is made.

Allotment:                                                                                                                                                                                                   

As the Council now owns the small area of land, which has to be retained as an allotment it has been decided to apply for planning permission to install a new wooden shed. This will be used to store essential Council equipment, which Members are currently having to keep at their own properties and a number of fencing posts which will be used to replace the ones round the playing field which are rotting away. To improve access to the site from the playing field a gate is being installed.

As always the full minutes of the meeting can be found on the Council’s web site www.shawbury-pc.gov.uk.                                                                                                                                           

 

The Clerk can be contacted by email at shawburypcclerk@talktalk.net  or by post at  6, Primrose Drive, Sutton Park, Shrewsbury SY3 7TP.


July 2023

Much of the time at the July meeting was spent trying to find ways in which road safety can be improved across the Parish with continued concerns raised about speeding traffic, failure to observe red lights and irresponsible parking at the school. Pressure is continually put on Shropshire Council to carry out road improvements and lining and to have a concerted effort by their Enforcement Officers to deal with the school parking problem at the start of the autumn term.

In a major effort to encourage drivers to drive more slowly and to observe the speed limits, it has been decided to seek a quotation for up-grading some of the VAS units to more modern versions as evidence from other areas seems to indicate that this can be effective.

There is still an option to set up a Safer Road Partnership in the Parish but repeated advertising has failed to tempt any more residents to sign up as volunteers.

You may recall that late last year the Council purchased  the allotment from the Housing Association and subject to agreement from the planning department the Council is proposing to create an access gate to the allotment from the playing field and to replace the broken down shed with a new modern wooden one. As well as helping the allotment holders the shed will provide valuable storage space for tools which currently have to be stored in Councillors’ private sheds or garages.

Members welcomed Flt. Lt. Jamie Jones to the meeting as the new representative from RAF Shawbury, replacing Warrant Officer Matt Lingham whose duties away from the base was precluding him from attending most meetings.

The next meeting of the Council will be held in the Village Hall on Tuesday August 8th. starting at 7.00pm. If there are any issues you feel the Council should address you are welcome to attend or simply get in touch with the Parish Clerk.

 


MAY 2023

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS:

Two Council meetings were held in the Village Hall on Tuesday 9th. May. The first one was the Annual Parish Meeting which was open to residents of the Parish and enabled them to meet with Councillors and take part in the discussions and it is also when presentations were made to people who had been nominated for providing exceptional service in the community.

Twenty five people attended the meeting and heard reports on Council activity from Brian Lyon, the Parish Council Chairman; Simon Jones, the local Shropshire Councillor and Richard Bailey who gave an update on the work of the local United Charities. Details of all these reports are attached to the Minutes of the meeting which can be found on the Council web site or can be obtained from the Clerk.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of Community Service Awards by Group Captain Andy Baron from RAF Shawbury. These awards which are sponsored by RAF Shawbury were given to Mrs. Margaret Powell, Mrs Barbara Cross, Mr. Ronnie Box,         Mr. John Kennedy and Squadron Leader Kim Leach who has recently retired from the post of Corporate Engagement Relations Officer at RAF Shawbury,

A group award went to River Meadows Nursing Home for encouraging residents to participate in activities but especially for the Yarn Benders Knitting Group that meets regularly at the Nursing Home, producing exceptional work. Many people will have seen the splendid display in Shawbury over the Easter period.

If you would like the minutes of the meeting and full details of all the reports these can be found on the Councils web site or obtained from the Parish Clerk.

The second meeting that followed was the Council&rsquo

Latest News

<< Previous | Next >>