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Myddle & Broughton Parish Council

Shropshire, UK

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MYDDLE AND BROUGHTON PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

March 2024
 
The latest meeting of the Council was held in Myddle Village Hall on March 6th. when the following items were considered:  
Affordable Housing:
Members received an update on the proposal to build a small estate of affordable houses on land in Godings Lane, Harmer Hill.  The field is currently leased to the Council as a Recreation Area but may be sold to Shropshire Council to allow them to consider producing plans for affordable housing development. If any plans are produced and the planning application is approved there will be no access to the site whilst any construction work is taking place. However, when the building work is complete the unused part of the field will be leased or sold to the Council and the play area facilities will be re-instated. 
Highways: 
Following discussions with a Senior Highways Officer at Shropshire Council, Members received the depressing news that although a range of problems had been raised, there was little chance of most of these being resolved soon unless they were seen as acutely dangerous. This is because of the parlous state of Shropshire Council’s financial situation but one positive item was news that road improvements were planned by Myddle School and a 20mph speed limit should be installed in 2025.  However, the request for a footpath from Pimhill to the Bridgewater Arms was discounted because it was likely to cost in excess of £30,000 which was deemed to be too expensive. The high cost was because it would entail creating a properly constructed footpath open to everyone and purchasing land from the owner of the adjacent field. 
Welcome Signs: 
The Council decided to seek permission to use Community Infrastructure grants to enable them to install signs on the side of the main roads leading into Myddle and Harmer Hill, simply stating Welcome to Myddle or Harmer Hill plus ‘Please drive carefully’. The signs were of a standard approved by the Department of Transport but would need to be approved by Shropshire Council.
 Myddle Church Clock: 
Councillor G. Harding gave an interesting and informative report on the history of the Myddle Church Clock and the recurring problems which were preventing it from working. The clock had originally been purchased by public subscription and it was felt that the Council should support the Parochial Church Council in funding the necessary up-date to ensure it would continue to work efficiently. A quotation for the work would be obtained before a final decision was made and in the meantime, the Clerk would check if Community Infrastructure finance could be used. 
The Annual Parish Meeting:
This will be held in Harmer Hill Village Hall on the deferred date of May 8th. This is to allow the Hall to be prepared as an election centre allowing people to vote for the Police Commissioner on May 2nd. This meeting is open to all parish residents and gives you a chance to meet your elected representatives and discuss issues of interest or concern. There will be a report from the Council Chairman and hopefully, a representative of the local Police, although this is dependent on the necessity to deal with urgent issues. That meeting will be followed by the AGM of the Parish Council, which will include the election of Officers and the appointment of representatives.

 

As always extended details can be found on the Councils web site  www.myddleandbroughton-pc.gov.uk or by contacting the Clerk on myddlebroughtonclerk@talktalk.net

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS JANUARY 2024

The Council made a flying start to the New Year by holding a meeting in Harmer Hill Village Hall on January 3rd. when the Agenda included a variety of issues for consideration including:

The Budget for 2024 -2025.
The proposed budget was adopted after the Clerk reported that by careful financial control, it had been possible to ensure that the current financial year would end well within the planned expenditure forecast.  This has enabled the Council to request the same precept from Shropshire Council for the next year and means that that the Parish Council element of the Council Tax should not be increased for residents living within the Parish boundary.The details of the budget can be found on the Council website or can be obtained from the Parish Clerk by sending in a request accompanied by a stamped and addressed envelope.

Highways:
Over the past year the Council has continued to receive many requests for improvements to the roads in and around the Parish including, extensions to 30mph restrictions and the creation of buffer 40mph speed limits; the creation of a footpath from Pimhill to the Bridgewater Arms in Harmer Hill; various warning notices and not least improved road safety at Myddle School. Shropshire Council are responsible for these developments and the Council is in constant discussion with its Officers but is well aware of the financial problems they are facing. As a result, Members are trying to negotiate alternative ways of funding some of the projects.

Myddle Recreation Ground:
The Council has been made aware of reports on the local Facebook querying the safety of the field but we respectfully request that if there are problems, please report them to the Parish Clerk, a local Councillor or the Police so that action can be taken. Every effort is made to keep the area safe for everyone – the play equipment is checked regularly by a qualified officer and Parish Councillors frequently walk round the field. Attempts to get a volunteer or paid help to do a weekly litter pick have not been responded to.

Police
Members were pleased to welcome to the meeting, PCSO Oliver Morris who has recently been appointed to the Wem Police Team. Oliver is determined to get involved in community issues and is particularly keen on helping to improve road safety at local schools.

As always the full minutes of the meeting can be found on the Council website -  www.myddleandbroughton-pc.gov.uk and the Clerk can be contacted at myddlebroughtonclerk@talktalk.net or by ‘phone on 01743 236810


The autumn meeting of the Council took place in Myddle Village Hall on Wednesday 30th. August when as usual there was a wide range of agenda items for Members to consider and action. However as has been pointed out in previous reports much of the Council work takes place outside of the planned meetings.

This summer has been no exception and Councillors have been asked to review a range of Council policy documents including Standing Orders; Financial Regulations and Risk Management. The revised documents were approved and details can be found on the Councils web site. The Council were also asked by Shropshire Council to review the Parish element of the Shropshire Place Plan. This resulted in a request for some items to be removed as they had been actioned, whilst the following items  should be included – urgent work to improve the road safety at Myddle School; a 40mph buffer zone entering Myddle on the Baschurch Road and improved safety measures on a section of the A528.

Items considered at the meeting included:

Road Safety Measures:
As always this featured highly with many complaints received from residents including the speed of traffic on Wem Road; Safety at Myddle School; access and exit at Hillcrest View on the A528 and large tractor units using The Hollow as a short cut. A police representative had met Councillors to discuss the Wem Road problem and a covert speed check was carried out over a period of several days, which identified that the majority of the traffic was keeping to the limit of 40mph. Changing to a 30mph limit would be the responsibility of Shropshire Council and would involve a number of expensive measures. However the Council would consider a proposal to install more effective VAS units. It was agreed that the area Road Safety Officer should be invited to an urgent meeting to discuss the other issues.

Affordable Housing Development:
Members agreed to relinquish the lase on land in Godings Lane used as a recreation ground, to allow a small housing development to take place and approved the appointment of Mr. Harfitt (Solicitor) to act on behalf of the Council. It was essential that there was agreement by Shropshire Council to lease back part of the land and re-site the play equipment at the same time and before any further development was undertaken.

Harmer Hill Reservoir:
Unlawful development continues at this site, including the storage of noxious materials, and has been continuing now for several years, in spite of an enforcement order being placed on the developer. The Council continues to press for action but the latest report from Shropshire Council said action was delayed because of a staff shortage. The Clerk has been asked to write to Shropshire Council’s Leader and C.E.O and seek urgent action with a copy being sent to Helen Morgan the local M.P.

Correspondence Received:
Once again since the last meeting Members over fifty varying items had been sent to Members and where necessary these were considered in detail and responded to.

Mid-Year Financial Statement:
The Clerk provided Members with an up to date statement which showed that the Council was in a healthy financial state. He pointed out that there was a considerable sum of Community Infrastructure Levy grant available for approved projects. Suggestions for new developments in the Parish are welcome.

 

Full minutes of the meeting will be available on the Councils web site early in September.

 


June 2023 NEWS
 
Council meetings are normally held on the first Wednesday of alternate months but the July meeting had to be held before the end of June to consider the audit documents, which needed to be approved by Councillors and received by the Government appointed Auditors by July 1st. The documents prepared by the Clerk and overseen by the local auditor were all approved and copies of these documents can be obtained from the Parish Clerk on the payment of £5.00.
 
Other issues which were considered at the meeting included:
 
Proposed Social Housing Development in Harmer Hill:
Members were advised that before the land in Godings Lane could be sold to Shropshire Council, there was a need to relinquish the lease they held for the playing field but that part of the area would be leased back to the Council when plans for the housing development are approved. The play area facilities would be relocated on that section of land and the Council are appointing a solicitor to oversee all these transactions.
Once the land has been sold, responsibility for the development passes to Shropshire Town and Rural Housing Association but progress will be monitored by a steering group made up of representatives from the Parish Council, Shropshire Council and local residents. If you are interested in being involved please contact the Clerk who will pass on your details to the Housing Association. At a later date a public consultation/planning event will be held in Harmer Hill Village Hall.
 
Wem Road Pavement
The plans approved by Shropshire Council for the development of Bridgewater Place in Harmer Hill included the construction of a new pavement on Wem Road, to run alongside the boundary of the estate. Unfortunately, this was not constructed and following complaints from residents and the Parish Council, Shropshire Council issued an order enforcing the builder to complete the work. After a very long wait Members were keen to hear that the construction was underway which will not incur any cost for the Parish and Shropshire Councils.
 
Messenger:
Councillor G. Miller reported that the editor of the Messenger was not going to continue after the August edition had been circulated and efforts to fill the voluntary post had not proven to be successful. A range of options were being considered but if they were not successful it seemed that the production of the Messenger would cease. If you feel that you could undertake this role please get in touch with the Clerk who will pass your details to Greg Miller.
 
Road Safety:
This is a regular item at Council meetings and it appears that the new VAS unit erected on Ellesmere Road in Harmer Hill is having a positive effect in reducing traffic speed but Members are very aware of resident’s concerns about speeding traffic on Wem Road, where there have been recent accidents. Shropshire Council and the Police are being contacted again with a request to have the speed limit reduced to 30mph and to allow the Parish Council to erect a modern VAS unit alongside the road
 
Minutes of the Meeting:
These have already been placed on the Council’s website –www.myddlebroughton-pc.gov.uk and the next Council meeting will be held in Myddle Village Hall on August 30th. Further information can be obtained from Jack Wilson, the Parish Clerk by email at myddlebroughtonclerk@talktalk.net or by ‘phone on 01743 236810
 

MAY 2023

Myddle Village Hall hosted two Council meetings on the evening of May 3rd. when fourteen residents attended the Annual Parish Meeting, giving them an opportunity to meet and discuss issues with the elected Councillors. That meeting was followed by a standard Parish Council meeting where residents were welcome but unable to take part in the discussions.

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

Social Housing:

In the first meeting Mr. Jason O ’Donoghue, the Senior Development Officer for Shropshire Town and Rural Housing,gave an informative outline of the proposed development of a small Social Housing Project on the playing field in Godings Lane, Harmer Hill.  This was being undertaken following a request from the Parish Council, which had reported that investigations had shown that there was a need for varied social housing within the Parish. This information was supported by the records held by ‘Home Point’ at Shropshire Council’s Housing Department.

He then gave details of investigations that had taken place pointing out that when the plans were finalised they would apply for planning permission which would give residents the chance to comment. Providing the project was approved it would be 2025 before properties were available.

Because of the location and nature of the development, applications to rent or part purchase any of the units would be restricted to those living within or who had firm identifiable contacts with the Parish.

Together with Council Members, he responded to many comments and questions from those attending.

Chairman’s Report:

Following the first item Colin Ruck, the Council Chairman, gave an interesting and informative report on Council activity throughout the past year, highlighting the range of activities undertaken in an effort to meet the needs of the community. These included road safety measures, litter and dog fouling control, maintenance of the two play areas and the many footpaths which are well-used by residents.   

With careful budgeting and the monitoring of expenditure, it had not been necessary to seek an increase in the precept, which meant that the local element of the Council Tax had not increased. However, he was pleased to report that the Council had still been able to make grants towards the upkeep of the Village Halls and Church Grounds as well as supporting the publication of the Messenger and the development of the Youth Club. Small grants had also been given to three local charities.

He then thanked to all the Members, the Parish Clerk and Shropshire Councillor Brian Williams for their dedicated support throughout the year.

 

COUNCIL MEETING

The second meeting of the evening followed immediately after the conclusion of the first one when Members appointed the Chairman and Vice Chairman and representatives to oversee various aspects of Council activity for the next year.

Various items were then considered when it was:

(a) Reported that Shropshire Council had made no progress in enforcing the construction of a footpath alongside Wem Road or the removal of unapproved development at Harmer Hill Reservoir. It was understood that Court Orders were being applied for but that could be a lengthy procedure.

(b) Agreed to purchase a new Parish Notice Board for Harmer Hill to replace the current one which had fallen into disrepair. This should take place within a few weeks.

(c) Noted that there were still problems with unauthorised cycling in the woodland adjacent to the Myddle Playing Field. The pathway through the wood is a permissive path where cycling is not allowed. Residents are kindly requested to observe this regulation. To ensure that the pathway can be accessed by walkers.

The  minutes of both meetings with a copy of the Chairman’s detailed report attached can be found on the Council’s website – www.myddleandbroughton-pc.gov.ukor obtained from the Parish Clerk – Email - myddlebroughtonclerk@talktalk.netor by calling him 01743 236810


JANUARY 2023

The Council began the New Year with a full agenda for the meeting held in Myddle Village Hall on January 4th. when Members were joined by six members of the public four of whom wished to raise issues in the public session prior to the start of the official meeting. Two residents raised strong objections about the location of the Commemorative Seat that had been placed close to the bus shelter in Harmer Hill, stating that it was directly opposite their property and undermined their privacy and that of other residents in adjacent properties.  Councillor Mr. Anderson said if this was the case there was a need to move the seat to a more acceptable site and this was agreed. Efforts will be taken by Harmer Hill Councillors to identify a new site and arrange the transfer.

Mr. Roger Jones congratulated and thanked the Council for purchasing and installing a Vehicle Activated Speed Unit on Ellesmere Road in Harmer Hill and hoped that it would remind drivers of their need to restrict their speed when driving through the Village.

Mr. Russell Purslow gave an informative report on attempts to secure land for the development of a small estate of affordable accommodation, specifically for residents of the Parish. He had been tasked with this project after the publication of the Local Parish Plan in 2013, when he was a Parish Councillor and the current Chairman had invited him to continue with the project after he left the Council at the last election. Owners of an identified site have agreed to sell the land and STAR Housing Association have agreed to go forward with the plans for development. They have conducted a range of surveys and searches and gained pre-planning advice from Shropshire Council but before they move forward they needed to be sure that they have the support of the Parish Council. In the full council meeting which followed, Members unanimously supported the proposal and a small committee will be formed to oversee the progress of the project. The Council wishes to include two or three interested members of the public – please contact the Clerk if you are interested.

Later in the meeting, the following items were discussed: 

 Ellesmere Road – Vehicle Activated Speed Sign: The Unit which had been purchased using money from the Community Infrastructure Grant was put in place just before Christmas and the early results show that about 94% of the traffic is travelling at less that 35mph, which is encouraging. Over 35mph is the speed when police will prosecute. 
 Wem Road Pavement:  It was reported that the building company had engaged contractors to construct the pavement and they were waiting for permission from Shropshire Council to carry out work on the highway. 
Budget 2023 -2024 The Clerk presented the budget for the following financial year and after consideration, this was approved. Careful budgeting meant that there was no need to seek an increase in the precept which means that element of residents’ Council Tax should only increase by a few pence for the full year. The full details of the budget can be viewed on the Councils web site.
Harmer Hill Reservoir: Members are fully aware of the concerns raised by residents about the unlawful developments taking place at this site. We are in constant dialogue with the Enforcement Officer at Shropshire Council who is urgently seeking the necessary legal order to enable appropriate action to be taken. Because of the regulations governing enforcement it is a difficult and time consuming operation but hopefully action will be taken soon.
As always the draft minutes of the Council meeting can be found on the Council’s web site - www.myddleandbroughton-pc.gov.uk and the Parish Clerk can be contacted by email at myddlebroughtonclerk@talktalk.netor by ‘phone at 01743236810. We would ask anyone seeking help or information to contact him before approaching Members direct and he will always deal with the issue or pass the details to the relevant Councillor.

In conclusion we would like to wish everyone a Happy and Peaceful New Year with the hope that many National and World wide issues can be resolved.


PARISH COUNCIL NEWS November 2022

In the public session of the latest meeting of the Parish Council, held in Harmer Hill Village Hall on Wednesday November 2nd.  Councillor A. Woodthorpe from Baschurch gave an informative talk on the Baschurch Station Campaign and asked Members to consider supporting the plans.

In the full meeting which followed Members dealt with a wide range of issues from across the whole Parish including:                                                                                                                                             

Street Lights: 
The massive increase in the cost of electricity which continues to affect everyone had been addressed to a certain extent by switching off the lights at mid-night and by becoming part of a consortium with Shropshire Council. Together these actions will save the Council over £1,000.00 each year. The Clerk reported that one complaint had been received about the new timing of the lights but Members thought  it seemed likely that a further increase in the cost of power was highly likely.                                                                                                                                                    

Road Safety: 
It was agreed that a VAS unit should be purchased and erected on Ellesmere Road in Harmer Hill following agreement from Shropshire Council. The unit will be solar powered and can be programmed to display a variety of messages and the cost of the project will be paid from Community Infrastructure Finance, received by the Council following past building projects.

Member were pleased with the 40mph buffer zone which had been created on Ellesmere Road travelling from the Myddle direction which appears to be having the required impact on vehicle speed.

There was still concern that the passing bay on Lower Road was still being used by some residents as a parking area, causing problems for residents living in The Pines. However because it is not an official parking area, the police are unable to take legal action but it was noted that criminal action had been taken by someone painting out the signs.

Play Areas:
Cleaning and re-painting plus some minor repairs had been carried out by Mr. Armando Meci and a Mr. Ray Parry, who installed the Play Areas, has been asked to deal with a few outstanding equipment repairs.

Jubilee Seats:
The Chairman reported that the two seats purchased to celebrate the late Queen’s Jubilee had arrived and would be placed on site in Harmer Hill and Myddle when suitable sites and hard standing had been identified and constructed. It was agreed that the plaque on the seats should now be a Memorial message rather than a Jubilee one.

Allotments: 
It was recorded with regret that no volunteers had come forward to take responsibility for chairing a group to try and establish some allotments in the Parish and that consideration for development would have to be put on hold for the time being.

Correspondence: 
As always Councillors had been asked to consider and respond where necessary to well over sixty items of correspondence and telephone messages, received by the Clerk since the last meeting.

Planning Applications: 
Five new applications, mainly concerned with extensions or alterations had been received for consideration since the last Council meeting and no objections were raised. It was noted that Shropshire Council had approved five previous applications but had refused approval for a small caravan site in Yorton and the change of use for a property in Myddlewood.

External Audit:
Each year the audit carried out locally has to be inspected by Government appointed officers who are currently based in London and the Clerk confirmed that no concerns had been raised about the financial and overall management of the Council.

Baschurch Station
Members considered the request made by Baschurch Councillor Andy Woodhead at the start of the meeting and agreed that in principle they gave support to the development of a new railway station in Baschurch.

 A detailed copy of the minutes of the meeting can be found on the Council’s web site   www.myddleandbroughton-pc.gov.ukand as always the Clerk can be contacted by email myddlebroughtonclerk@talktalk.net or by ‘phone on 01743 236810.                                   

 

The next Council meeting is in Myddle Village Hall on January 4th at 7.30pm.


PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

The latest Council meeting was held in Myddle Village Hall on Wednesday, September 7th when

Community Police Support Officer Jamie Robinson was in attendance at the start of the meeting and commented on items which had been raised by Councillors and members of the public. He pointed out that Wem and the surrounding rural area were covered by one police officer supported by one full-time and one part-time community support officer, which made it difficult to attend meetings regularly. He stated that the Parish had a very low level of crime compared to other areas but promised to look at the way statistics were recorded and would see if action could be taken over certain highway issues.

 

In the full meeting which followed Members received and considered the following items:

  • The long-awaited introduction of a 40mph buffer zone on the Ellesmere Road leading into Harmer Hill from the direction of Myddle had been put in place.
  • The dropped kerb had been constructed on the Wem Road in Harmer Hill.
  • Shropshire Councillor Brian Williams stated that he had been informed that work to construct the pavement alongside the Bridgewater Estate on Wem Road should be underway within a couple of weeks.
  • The Safer Road Partnership had sent the Council details of covert checks on traffic speed carried out over a two-week period on Wem Road. The results indicated that there was good compliance with the speed limit with an average speed of 42 mph. recorded. Checks were now planned for Ellesmere Road in Harmer Hill.
  • Members were considering the type of VAS sign for erection on the designated site on Ellesmere Road in Harmer Hill and it was hoped this would be in place within the next few weeks.
  • The police had promised to investigate the problem caused by vehicles parking in the passing bay on Lower Road, opposite the entrance to the Pines.
  • Owners of the site at Harmer Hill Reservoir had failed to take voluntary action over an enforcement order regarding development at the site and legal action was now being proposed by the Enforcement Officer at Shropshire Council.
  • The Chairman reported that two seats had been
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