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MYDDLE AND BROUGHTON PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
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.
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.
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 ordered to commemorate the Queen’s Jubilee and these would be placed at suitable locations in Harmer Hill and Myddle.
- Shropshire Council had promised to investigate the request by the Parish Council to purchase the Myddle playing field and the adjacent woodland.
- Seven planning applications had been received since the last meeting none of which related to the construction of new properties but objections were confirmed over two of the proposed developments.
- The Clerk had received over seventy items of correspondence since the last meeting and these had been forwarded to Members for consideration and comment.
- It was agreed to make a donation of £500 to enable sections of the Messenger to be printed in colour for a trial period.
- The Mid-Year Statement of Accounts, which indicated that the Council’s finances were in a healthy state, were adopted and would be published on the Council website or could be obtained on request from the Clerk.
- Finally Members considered a review of the Community Led Parish Plan which had been published and adopted in 2009. The review by the Chairman and the Clerk highlighted the wide range of improvements that had been carried out throughout the Parish but also noted areas that still need to be considered and improved. It was agreed to give the review wider publicity and to start addressing areas that needed to be improved. Public responses will be welcomed.
As always the minutes of the meeting will be published on the Council web site www.myddlebroughton-pc.gov.ukand comments or issues can be sent to the Parish Clerk by email at myddlebroughtonclerk@talktalk.netor by ’phone at 01743 236810.
PARISH COUNCIL NEWS March 2022
The March meeting was held in Harmer Hill Village Hall when as usual a substantial programme of business was conducted, starting with the co-option of a new Member to replace Miss Whittingham who resigned earlier in the year. The person selected was Mr. Marshall Andrew a Harmer Hill resident and he was able to participate in the meeting which followed his co-option.
Speeding Traffic:
Members considered a wide range of issues and foremost was responding to the many complaints about speeding traffic that are regularly brought to the Council’s attention. Unfortunately the Council has no powers to enable them to deal with what is unfortunately a National issue. However a small group of Members meet frequently with Shropshire Council’s Highways safety officer to discuss these issues and suggested improvements are then passed to the area Police Road Safety Officer for consideration and possible action, Earlier in the year the following proposals had been made – changing the speed limit from 40 to 30mph on Wem Road, Harmer Hill; introducing a buffer zone of 40mph entering Myddle on the Baschurch Road; speed restrictions on the Baschurch Road at Myddlewood; a 40mph limit on a section of the A528 by the new development at Hillcrest and the turning into Brookside in Myddle; a 40mph limit on Shotton Lane Harmer Hill and an extension of the 30mph limit on Lower Road Harmer Hill. Of these, the only ones to gain full support from the police were the Shotton Lane and Lower Road proposals. Shropshire Council will try and include these in their future plans and will also consider providing advisory signs at Myddlewood and improvements to the gateway into Myddle from the direction of Baschurch. It was unanimously agreed by Council Members that the Council will continue to press for the other issues to be dealt with.
One successful outcome is that the plans for the improvements at the junction of the Ellesmere Road and the road to Newton on the Hill including a 40mph buffer zone should be undertaken in the near future after a wait of well over two years.
Streetlights:
A recent circular from Scottish Power has indicated that from March 1st. they were increasing the cost of electricity for the street lights from 12p to 47p per kWh, which means the annual cost for the Parish would rise from just over £500.00 to approx £2,000.00. The Clerk was asked to seek other quotations and to see whether it would be beneficial to join the Shropshire Council streetlight consortium. We have also been informed by E.On who manage the lights that they are currently not in a position to take on any column replacement work or additional column installations in the Scottish Power area.
Increased Fuel Costs:
Concerns were expressed regarding the effect the increased fuel prices would have on many residents and it was felt that the most appropriate way to help initially was to provide information on the range and type of support which is currently available. It was suggested that a detailed article could be published in The Messenger, which was delivered to most properties in the Parish and Councillor Mrs. Jackson offered to oversee the project.
Grants:
Each year the Council budgets a small sum of money to enable it to give grants to charities or organisations that apply for help and this year has given grants of £180.00 to each of the following charities - Hope House, The Hospice and Crane Counselling.
Youth Club:
Members were pleased to hear that the Youth Club in Myddle will be re-started following its demise during the pandemic and the Council will be giving moral and financial support to the organisers.
Shropshire Council:
The Council, like many organisations and individuals is frequently critical of the lack of response from Shropshire Council to issues that are raised but the following report was recently given to Clerks and highlighted by Shropshire Councillor Brian Williams:
Shropshire Cou
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