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The up to 10% of households not
included are likely to be in the remote areas such as
the Shropshire Hills.
Andy Boddington Vice Chairman of CPRE Shropshire said:
“The Rural Advocate has hit the nail on the head.
If we do not act quickly, our villages and hamlets here
in Shropshire will become the preserve of holidaymakers
and the retired, and will lose their remaining jobs
and services.
“It is time to stop just
talking about the countryside and to start reviving
it. That means we must urgently build affordable housing
in our rural villages and hamlets.”
Andy continues: “Young people who work in rural
communities breath life into them. They keep our schools
alive, and help manage our farms and landscapes. They
staff the services that holidaymakers and those that
retire here need. But young people who work in Shropshire’s
countryside too often cannot afford to live there, or
they live in accommodation that is cramped and substandard.”
“We need to build affordable
houses for them. Government funding is the only practical
solution for the majority of affordable homes and these
houses should be built to rent, not to buy. These houses
need not, and must not destroy the character of the
countryside. They should be tucked into the hamlets,
farms and villages of our landscape and built in local
styles.”
“Shropshire Council’s current plans, outlined
in its Core Strategy, suggest that it will take longer
to get affordable housing built in rural areas because
of the need to work with local communities. We see no
reason why this should be the case, and the council
should be working to deliver affordable rural housing
provision as a matter of urgency.”
The Rural Advocate highlights
the poverty of broadband and mobile phone access in
rural areas. Andy Boddington says “Broadband is
not a luxury, it is an essential service. We are concerned
that government plans to roll out superfast broadband
will ignore the remote areas of Shropshire. This means
that young people will not benefit from the higher broadband
speeds necessary for their education, businesses and
social life. The government must stop treating rural
areas as a technology backwater and must finance universal
high speed broadband provision.”
Visit the CPRE Shropshire
website: http://www.cpreshropshire.org.uk.
“We still need people across the Severn Trent
region, particularly in Birmingham and Staffordshire,
to help us out by reporting any water leaks they may
spot, no matter how small or insignificant they may
seem,” said Senior Operations Manager Fraser Pithie.
“We want to keep on top of leakage and try and
reduce it where possible, and we can only do that with
the help of our customers, and the general public.”
If you spot a leak, don’t assume that someone
has already reported it to us,” urged Fraser.
“We often come across cases where we finally track
down a leak only to discover that people have known
about if for a few days, but no one has picked up the
phone to tell us about it.
“We really need you to help us: so if you come
across a leak, please spend just a few minutes to pick
up the phone to give us a few details, so we can check
it out. Or you can report the leak on line if that’s
easier for you.”
Water leaks can be reported to Severn Trent by calling
0800 783 444, or on-line. Just visit www.stwater.co.uk
and follow the ‘report a leak’ link form
the home page.
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Staff from Sainsbury's
with Jessica Bell, 11, from Redhill Primary School
and teacher Michelle Sedgebeer (right). |
Jessica Bell,
11, from Redhill Primary School in Priorslee spent
yesterday at Sainsbury’s Telford raising
awareness of Fairtrade products.
Jessica conducted survey’s following on
from a school project, asking customers if they
buy Fairtrade products and if they don’t,
why not.
The event took place as part of Fairtrade Fortnight.
Jessica's Mum, Kerry Bell said: I'm so proud,
Jessica has been learning about faritrade at school,
she was so interested she researched further at
home and wanted to help raise awareness of the
need for people to purchase fairtrade products."
Redhill Primary School teacher, Michelle Sedgbeer,
praised Jessica for the work she had done both
inside and outside the classroom. Michelle commented:
"Jessica was an inspiring pupil who had taken
on a great responsibilites, its great to see learning
come to life outside of the classroom."
Sainsbury’s stocks more than 800 Fairtrade
products and the company’s Fairtrade sales
generate an annual social premium of $16 million.
Sainsbury’s customers have contributed to
the education of thousands of school children,
helped to improve health and social care for workers
and their families, and added to community infrastructures
such as roads, bridges, lighting and wells.
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Store manager Ian Sutton said: “The fact
that buying Fairtrade products can really make
a difference to the lives of people living in
the developing world is a humbling one and I think
we should all make the effort to buy Fairtrade
products whenever we can."
"Sainsbury’s supports Fairtrade Fortnight
because it is our opportunity to share with our
local community the importance of Fairtrade and
to help our customers understand that buying Fairtrade
products needn’t make a huge hole in your
pocket and can easily become an everyday way of
life.”
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A teenager motorcyclist was injured in a road traffic
collision in Telford, yesterday. The collision happened
on the A442
Eastern Primary, Stirchley, shortly after 10.30am.
An Emergency Care Practitioner in a rapid response vehicle,
an ambulance crew and the Midlands Air Ambulance from
Cosford attended.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “A
19 year old man had a suspected dislocated hip, he was
taken by land ambulance to Princess Royal Hospital.”
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Siobhan Martin, Senior
Customer Service Manager and Council Leader, Councillor
Andrew Eade. |
The
new and improved First Point Telford has opened
in Civic Offices and residents are now visiting
for help, advice and information from a wide range
of Council and partner services.
The new facility has built
on the success of the credit crunch advice centre
which opened last February in Telford Library.
The aim of First Point Telford
is to bring a number of council services and partner
organisations together in one location, to provide
a more joined up customer service to help residents
at the first point of contact.
Computers and phones are
available for free use by members of the public
who may want to access services or search for
jobs and plasma screens are now bringing the latest
information to residents.
Residents are met by a Customer
Services Officer who will ensure that their enquiry
is dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible.
They will also inform the customer of other services
that may be beneficial to them.
Council services on offer
include environmental maintenance (fly tipping,
graffiti and vandalism, bins, refuse and recycling),
Council Tax, benefits and housing advice, affordable
warmth, Family Information Services, leisure and
theatre bookings, Next Step Community Training,
Land Charges and Registration of Births.
The list of partner services
includes CAB, the PCT, the Princes Trust, A4U,
Employment Link and Shropshire County Training.
More services will be added throughout the year.
Opening times are 8.30am
to 6pm, with a late night on Thursday until 8pm.
First Point is also open on Saturdays from 9am
to 1pm.
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Council leader, Councillor Andrew Eade, said:
“The move to Civic Offices has gone smoothly
and trained staff from the Council and partner
services are ready to assist customers and have
helped more than 800 visitors in the first three
days of opening.
“While this is an
open and informal environment where we aim to
help as many residents as possible there are also
private areas within our new, modern design so
people can discuss things in confidence.
“Providing high
quality customer service is a key priority to
this Council and we realise that to help residents
find out about services available to them we needed
to come together under one roof and make it much
easier to do business with the council.” |
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Following the recent
news that this year's Ellesmere carnival had been cancelled,
a meeting has now been called to discuss the future
of the carnival and the possibility that this years
event could be saved.
The meeting will take place at 8pm on Wednesday 10th
March at the Comrades club in Ellesmere. Members of
the public who would like to get involved with the carnival
and help are invited to attend.
The Carnival committee hope for a large turnout from
local residents who will help support and save the event.
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Work on a multi-million pound expansion of caravan sales
company Salop Leisure's Shrewsbury headquarters is scheduled
to begin in mid-April.
The contract for the work has been award to C21 Construction
Ltd of Welshpool, who built Salop Leisure's existing
£5 million headquarters alongside Shrewsbury bypass
at Emstrey traffic island when the company moved from
Meole Brace four years ago.
The substantial expansion, which will increase the size
of the company's sales centre from 3,525 to 5,210 square
metres, is designed to create a "centre of excellence"
for the caravan industry and at least 18 new jobs. The
company employs 140 staff.
The plans, designed by Harry Wilson, of Shrewsbury-based
WDW chartered architects, include the creation of new
vehicle access 100 metres further away from the Emstrey
roundabout to improve traffic flow and road safety.
The expansion will also allow the company to create
a new natural landscaped display area for caravans and
to expand its showrooms, service facilities, workshops,
offices and customer parking space. An external seating
area for the company's popular Love Coffee café
and restaurant and an associated secure children's play
area are also planned.
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A service is to take place next week paying tribute
to the lives of mother and daughter Sue and Frankie
McFall.
The bodies of 56-year-old Sue McFall, 56, and her 18-year-old
daughter Francesca were discovered by police at their
home in Hampton Road, Oswestry a month ago today, Friday
February 5.
Its believed that husband and father, Hugh McFall,
48, murdered his wife and daughter before heading to
his lock up in St. Martins and committing suicide.
The service will be at St Oswald’s Parish Church
in Oswestry on Tuesday at 1.30pm.
At an inquest into their deaths was opened on February
11 and adjourned until a date to be fixed.
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Members of the Tiger Tracks supporters' trust are holding
a fun race night on Friday, March 19 from 7.30pm, at
the White Horse in Wrockwardine Wood.
Funds raised at the event will go towards getting the
Telford Tigers English Premier League ice hockey team
back into action in September, after a season in mothballs.
Supporters can enjoy a fun flutter for £1 per
horse, and companies and individuals are invited to
sponsor races for £20 each.
Organiser Claire Shaw said: "Many fans tell us
they have missed the social side of Telford Tigers as
well as the ice hockey action, so the Tiger Tracks committee
is hoping to put on more events of this kind between
now and September.
"Not only does it help us to raise vital funds
for the club, the race night will allow us all to get
the supporters together and start making plans for when
the new season starts."
Anyone who would like to sponsor a race can contact
Claire on 07984 114 320, or Tiger Tracks membership
forms are available from interest@telfordtigers.co.uk
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