A man in his 20s remains
in a critical condition in hospital following a serious
road collision on the outskirts of Shifnal.
The collision happened just after 4pm on Saturday in
Haughton Road, Shifnal.
A red Volkswagen Golf was in collision with the roadside
verge and a tree stump, before overturning and suffering
extensive damage.
The driver of the car suffered serious head injuries
and was air lifted to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham,
where he remains in a critical condition in the Intensive
Care Unit.
One passenger, a man in his late teens, suffered serious
leg, arm and back injuries. He was also air lifted to
the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and is
believed to be in a stable condition.
Another passenger, a man also in his 20s, suffered minor
injuries and was treated at the Princess Royal Hospital
before being released later on Saturday evening.
Constable Nick Allbutt, of Shifnal Police Station, is
investigating the circumstances of the crash and appealed
for anyone who might have seen what happened or the
lead-up to the collision to get in touch.
“We have already spoken to a number of witnesses
but believe there may have been others who might have
seen the crash itself or the red Golf, a grey Audi or
an orange Ford Fiesta immediately beforehand, which
were all travelling towards Shifnal from the Welcome
Break Services Island and the M54,” he said.
“Anybody who might have seen the collision itself
or any of these vehicles in the area between the services
and the site of the crash at the relevant time is asked
to contact police on 0300 333 3000.”
The road was closed for a number of hours following
the crash while the emergency services and police collision
investigators worked at the scene. It was reopened at
about 10pm that evening after debris had been cleared
at the Golf recovered by police.............................................................................................................................................................................................................
Severn Trent will unveiled
a £3 million scheme to replace the aging water
main and sewer network in Oswestry today.
Paul Winterton, programme manager
for Severn Trent Water, commented: “The existing
cast iron water pipes are beginning to show signs of
wear and tear and are more prone to leaks and bursts,
so we are going to replace them with modern, tough plastic
pipes which will dramatically reduce the risk of future
leaks. In addition, we need to replace parts of the
sewer network in Oswestry so it makes sense to do it
at the same time in an attempt to cause minimum disruption
to the town. “
The plans are on display in the
Walford Davies Suite at The Guildhall from 2pm-6pm today
and 9am-1pm tomorrow.
In preparation for the water mains
work, the company will be in the town over the next
few weeks digging trial holes to determine the material
and diameter of the existing water mains, and their
proximity to other utilities assets such as gas and
electricity.
From this information the company
will be able to establish the safest, most cost effective,
and least disruptive way of completing the work.
Paul adds: “We understand
that any kind of roadworks are going to be disruptive
to a small town like Oswestry, that’s why we want
to meet local residents to talk about how we can work
together to cause the least disruption possible. We
can also talk to local businesses about our loss of
profits scheme.”
Representatives from the water
strategy team at Severn Trent will also be available
to talk about the work the company has been doing to
improve the taste of the water since a series of drop-in
sessions were held at the end of last year.
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Around 2,500 civil servants in Shropshire have begun
a 48-hour strike over redundancy pay.
In Shropshire courts, job and tax centres are all being
affected by the Public and Commercial Services Union
(PCS) walkout.
The action comes as PCS members could lose a third
of their entitlement over cuts under the civil service
compensation scheme.
Strikers are today outside RAF Cosford, Copthorne Barracks
in Shrewsbury and various other locations in the county.
The changes to the civil service compensation scheme
were agreed with five of the six civil service unions
after 18 months of negotiation and consultation.
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Three people were
injured in a collision involving two cars at a crossroads
in Shropshire yesterday. The collision happened on the
junction of the A5 and B4379 at Sheriffhales, shortly
after 3.25pm.
One of the vehicles contained an elderly couple, whilst
the other had a lone woman driver. All three were treated
at the scene for spinal injuries, they also had neck
and back pain.
Those involved were immobilised
with the use of spinal boards and neck collars and were
taken by land ambulances to the Princess Royal Hospital
for further assessment and treatment.
Three ambulance crews, an incident
support officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from
Cosford attended.
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Shropshire's newly appointed
Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Redmond. |
Shropshire’s newly appointed Deputy Chief
Fire Officer John Redmond has vowed to maintain
the high standards at Shropshire Fire and Rescue
Service which have seen fires fall to a record
low due to successful fire prevention initiatives.
With a 27 year career in the fire and rescue service,
John, 49, moves to the county from Cheshire Fire
and Rescue Service. He takes over the role from
Paul Raymond who was promoted to Chief Fire Officer
last year.
Originally from Wallasey, John joined London Fire
Brigade after gaining a degree in geography from
Hull University. He moved to the Cheshire brigade
as a newly promoted Divisional Officer working
in brigade training, operations, personnel, and
running the community fire safety department.
"I am very pleased and very proud to serve
as the new Deputy Chief Fire Officer in Shropshire.
Because of the present financial situation, we
are working hard towards maintaining and improving
the service we give while ensuring public money
is spent wisely and making savings wherever we
can.
"Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is one
the UK's smallest fire and rescue service's but
it has a strong track record of being one of the
best in the country. We intend to continue the
excellent service to the people of Shropshire,"
said Mr Redmond, who is based at the Shrewsbury
fire HQ. |
During his firefighting career, John has been
involved in many serious incidents including a
chemical cylinders explosion, a huge warehouse
fire containing two million litres of spirits,
serious house fires and fatal motorway road crashes.
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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The new £8.5 million Civic
Quarter gets under way in Wellington this month and
will include the refurbishment and extension of the
existing leisure centre and a new library with two floors
of office accommodation, a single storey registry office
building with attached garden area and a new pedestrian
link between the development and the town centre.
The exciting new scheme at the
heart of Wellington is part of Telford and Wrekin Council’s
multi-million pound Borough Towns Initiative which is
aimed at regenerating key towns across the borough.
The large scale main project is being led by contractors
GF Tomlinson Birmingham Ltd who will take possession
of the site later this month with the view to completing
the work in September 2011.
GF Tomlinson and Telford &
Wrekin Council are teaming up later this month to throw
the gauntlet down to local sub contractors and suppliers
to get involved with this major project. They are also
working with students from a local college who will
have the opportunity to learn new skills by taking part
in the development.
A special information session
will be held in the Council Chamber of Wellington Civic
Centre, on Saturday 13 March from 10am-2pm, where council
officers and representatives from G F Tomlinson Birmingham
Limited will be on hand to answer questions about the
proposed works and talk to local contractors and suppliers
about how they can get involved...
As well as improving the reliability
of the traffic signals it is hoped that the new toucan
crossing will improve pedestrian and cycling links in
this area of the town. In order to minimise future disruption
the council will be carrying out minor footpath and
cycleway improvement works in the immediate area around
the crossing.
This work is being jointly funded
by Shropshire Council and Cycle Shrewsbury; the Cycling
Demonstration Towns programme co-ordinated by Cycling
England.
Work is expected to take two weeks
to complete. In order to ensure the safety of the workforce
temporary traffic signals will be in operation. To minimise
disruption as much as possible the temporary signals
will only be operating during off peak hours (9.30am
to 4.30pm).
Martin Taylor-Smith, Shropshire
Council’s Cabinet member for strategic planning
and transportation, said: “We would like to apologise
for any inconvenience these essential works may cause.
We appreciate this is a busy road and have co-ordinated
the works to ensure the temporary traffic signals are
only during off peak daytime hours.
“This new crossing will
make it easier for both pedestrians and cyclists to
cross this busy road.”
Miles Kenny, Shropshire Councillor
for Underdale, said: “This is a difficult area
for cyclists as the busy Monkmoor Road cuts across a
route frequently used by them. The toucan crossing should
make things much easier and safer for the many cyclists
trying to cross Monkmoor Road."
For further information
on the Cycle Shrewsbury scheme visit: cycleshrewsbury.co.uk
............................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Highways Agency is installing new variable message
signs on the M54 eastbound between Junction 4, Shifnal
and Junction 3, Albrighton)to give drivers the latest
information about the road conditions ahead.
Work to install the new ‘MS3’ signs will
begin this week and they are due to come into use by
the end of April.
Two variable message signs and CCTV cameras are being
installed on the eastbound carriageway and will be in
operation ahead of major events this summer such as
the V Festival and Cosford Airshow. Providing road users
with the latest traffic information is an essential
part of the work of the Highways Agency and these new
signs are specifically designed to provide information
about incidents, hazards, events and campaigns.
Work will take place on the hard shoulder during the
day and a lane one closure will be required overnight
to provide a safe working area. During this time there
will be a 50mph speed restriction in place for the safety
or road users and the workforce.
Highways Agency project manager, Godfrey Paul, said:
"The new variable message signs will enable us
to provide improved information to motorists, helping
to make journeys more reliable and increasing safety.
“Events such as V Festival and the Cosford Airshow
bring a large number of people to the region who don’t
know the local roads or best routes to take. These new
signs will assist with getting live traffic information
to road users and are just another tool for us to reduce
congestion and improve journey time reliability.”
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Appeals to the public to help spot and report water
leaks to Severn Trent struck a real chord during the
recent spell of Siberian-style weather (the coldest
winter for 30 years) – but the company is asking
people not to let their guards down even though the
weather might not be quite so chilly.
“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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Do you have a passion for the great outdoors? Would
you like the opportunity to improve outdoor access and
recreation in Shropshire? If so and you have some spare
time why not join Shropshire’s Local Access Forum?
Shropshire Council’s Countryside Access Team
are now looking for volunteers to join the forum and
are currently seeking new applicants.
The membership of the forum needs to represent a wide
range of interests in a balanced way, so we are looking
for applicants with a broad experience across one or
more of the following areas:-
• Users of local rights of way and access land
• Owners or occupiers of land over which local
rights of way exist
• Any other interests relevant to the area which
could include; nature or land conservation, heritage,
health and well-being, tourism and active recreation,
local community or minority interests
The purpose of these groups is to advise Councils,
Natural England and others, on how best to improve public
access to the countryside for recreation and enjoyment
whilst considering the needs of land management and
nature conservation. Members of the Forum have a wide
variety of backgrounds and varied interests including
walking, cycling, horse riding, conservation and wildlife,
as well as farming, rural business and less-abled access
interests.
In Shropshire the Forum meets several times a year
where a wide variety of topics relating to recreational
access are discussed. The meetings are open to the public
and usually held at the Shirehall in Shrewsbury.
For further information about the Local Access Forum
and how to apply, contact Shropshire Council on 0345
678 9000. Closing dates for applications is the end
of March 2010.
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Young people in Telford
& Wrekin are being encouraged to increase their
physical activity levels and be rewarded for their efforts.
Telford & Wrekin Council and
Telford Schools Sports Partnership with funding from
Sport England have been developing and co-ordinating
a Physical Activity Reward Scheme.
The scheme aims to encourage 14
to 19-year-olds who are taking part in limited or no
sport and physical activity to participate in more -
both within and outside of the school setting on a regular
basis.
Young people will be asked to
take part in the scheme for 15 weeks and will be given
the opportunity to collect stamps for joining in extra
curriculum activities.
These stamps build up to different levels where rewards
for individual’s efforts will be offered. Rewards
include free leisure activities such as badminton court
hire and ice skating sessions, cinema passes and clothes
vouchers.
After the 15 week scheme it is
hoped the young people will have the encouragement and
confidence to continue to take part in sport and physical
activity.
Councillor Stephen Bentley, Cabinet
Member for Active Lifestyles, Leisure and Culture said:
“This Council is very encouraging of its residents
taking part in physical activity and sport.
“It can really help with
people’s motivation and wellbeing and of course
is a priority to help people keep healthy.”
“This free scheme
offers some great incentives for people aged 14 to 19
to get involved and I hope many young people take up
the challenge.”
The Council is looking for interested
young people to come forward and apply in to the scheme.
Applications are available
by contacting the Physical Activity and Sports Project
Coordinator on 01952 382603, by emailing physicalactivityrewardscheme@telford.gov.uk
or visiting www.telford.gov.uk/lesiure
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PC John Walters – Local Police Officer for Wrockwardine
Wood and Trench – has confirmed that preparations
are now almost complete ahead of a community basketball
match he has organised in North Telford.
The match, which will see a police and local authority
team take on a team made up of young people from the
local community, is taking place at Oakengates Leisure
Centre on Monday 8th March with ‘tip-off’
being at 6pm.
PC Walters said: “This match is becoming an annual
event and the police and local authority team will be
looking to repeat their success from last year when
we ran out comfortable winners. The average age of the
community team is usually 16 or 17 but I’m beginning
to suspect that they may bring in one or two ‘guest’
players or ‘ringers’ this year so we’ll
have to wait and see!
“The aim of the match is for us all to enjoy
a competitive but friendly game of basketball while
also breaking down a few barriers between the police
and the young people we serve in the community.”
The match has proved a big success in the past and
it’s certainly helped relations between the Local
Policing Teams and Youth Development workers in North
Telford and the local communities we work within.
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