“We have a choice.
Build affordable housing in villages or those villages
will die.” That’s the message from CPRE
Shropshire Chairman Andy Boddington in response to a
new report by the National Housing Federation, CPRE
and other countryside groups.
He continues: “If we are to have a beautiful countryside,
it must thrive. For it to thrive, people need to work
in the landscape to keep its pubs, shops and above all
its schools alive. We have a growing problem here in
Shropshire with village housing being taken up by the
wealthy retired and second home owners, or rented out
as holiday cottages. We need places to live for the
people who work in our pubs, staff our post offices
and teach in our schools. We must build small scale
affordable housing for them.”
“Affordable housing need not damage the beauty
and tranquillity of the countryside. What we need is
small developments of affordable housing near to where
people work. We need developments that are sympathetically
tucked into the folds of rural landscape and in tune
with local building styles.”
“Our greatest worry
is that affordable housing is often only funded through
contributions from developers who want to build sprawling
estates of market housing. We need new models of house
building such as Community Land Trusts. That way we
can get the affordable housing we need without destroying
Shropshire’s greatest asset, the natural and historic
environment.”
Hundreds of scale models of iconic aircraft will be
taking to the skies this weekend at the annual Large
Model Aircraft Rally taking place at the Royal Air Force
Museum Cosford. This famous air show in miniature is
an absolute must see for any aviation enthusiast, attracting
in excess of 10,000 visitors during the two-day event.
The main theme of this year’s show will be celebrating
the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain with a
full two hours of the show dedicated to flying aircraft
from the era, including a mass flypast of fighters –
possibly the biggest formation ever seen at a model
air show.
An exclusive for this year’s show and new to Cosford
will be the first public appearance of a 1/4 full size
English Electric Lightning and the new formation of
Vulcan and Victor flying together. An Aerobatic Glider
Display from RAF Cosford will provide some full size
flying to entertain the crowds.
A family fun fair will keep the youngsters entertained
throughout the day or why not try one of the aircraft
simulators? Sit inside and feel what its like to fly
in many of the full size RAF aircraft of today. In addition
to all this, trade stands selling both modelling and
non-modelling related items will line the airfield.
Plus, the Museum will be open to visitors on both days
where you can see the full sized aircraft including
the world’s oldest Spitfire and the award winning
National Cold War Exhibition home to the much loved
Victor, Valiant and Vulcan.
Admission prices to the Large Model Aircraft Rally including
entrance to the Museum are just £9 for adults,
£5 for children and £7 for senior citizens
with a family ticket of 2 adults and up to 2 children
retailing at £20. On site camping is only £40.00
for the weekend. Gates open at 8.30am.
The Market Hall, Shrewsbury’s latest tenant, The
Visual Arts Network (VAN) is opening its gallery to
the public today. To celebrate the launch, they are
throwing a lunchtime party. Drinks and nibbles will
be served and an exhibition of first class artwork will
be on show, all produced by artists who opened their
studios in Shrewsbury last weekend.
VAN is a charitable trust, dedicated to providing awareness
of visual art across the country. Speaking about the
event, Chair of the trust Carola Fielden says: “We
are delighted we now have a permanent base in Shrewsbury.
The gallery will act as a cohesive centre for everything
to do with the visual arts across Shropshire. We will
also be an information base for people to find out more
about other art galleries, events and initiatives happening
across the county.”
Elsewhere in The Market Hall one lucky shopper is being
presented with a hamper courtesy of management and Shrewsbury
Town Council. The winner of a prize draw, also taking
place on Saturday, will receive a hamper filled with
£200 worth of fantastic goodies from retailers
at Market Hall. The prize will be presented as part
of a live draw taking place in the Market at 1.30pm.
Shropshire Council’s Family Information Service
(FIS) has launched its essential free guide to what’s
on for children, young people and families during the
summer holidays.
Whether parents are looking for a few fun activity
days or full time care during the summer break, through
a holiday play scheme or childminder, this guide lets
parents and children know what’s available in
their area.
Councillor Aggie Caesar-Homden Cabinet Member for Children
and Young People’s Services said: “The summer
holidays can be a mixed blessing for both children and
families. Balancing work and home commitments; keeping
children active and avoiding boredom can be difficult.
This booklet has been produced to help ease the stresses
of the summer and to ensure both children and parents
have a great time.”
The booklet includes a wide choice of activities ranging
from sports and outdoors, drama, arts, crafts, music,
and dance activities. There is also information on fun
fairs and great days out, which children and young people
can enjoy by themselves or which families can enjoy
together.
Shropshire Family Information Service has been established
to help parents and carers make the best use of childcare
and children’s services available in Shropshire.
It offers comprehensive information on registered holiday
play schemes as well as all year round care including,
childminders, out of school clubs, day nurseries and
pre-school playgroups. Information is also available
on children’s clubs and for the younger ones,
carer and toddler groups.
The guide can be found on the Shropshire Council website
www.shropshire.gov.uk/childcare and follow links to
the Family Information Service. The guide will be distributed
via schools so there will be one for every family of
school aged children. It is also being distributed via
Sure Start Children's Centres, so parents of pre-school
children can also pick up a copy. For a free copy of
the summer guide or to find out what else is available
in their area, parents and carers can call Shropshire
Family Information Service on 01743 254400.
Police are appealing for witnesses to a road collision
in Market Drayton involving a blue Toyota Yaris which
struck the central reservation at the Gingerbread island
on the outskirts of the town.
Police Constable James Walters, the investigating officer,
said the collision happened at around 11am on Tuesday.
The driver, an 82-year-old woman, was taken ill at the
wheel but suffered no serious injuries in the collision.
She was taken to the Princess Royal Hospital at Telford
to be checked.
PC Walters said: “I am appealing for anyone who
saw this incident to contact me at Market Drayton police
station on 0300-333-3000."
Children's
fares on the Severn Valley Railway are being slashed
for the duration of the school summer holidays, from
£8 for the full-line round trip, to just £1.
The railway’s ‘Kids for a Quid’ promotion
which runs for almost six weeks from next Saturday,
July 24, until Bank Holiday Monday August 31st, in conjunction
with free admission to the SVR’s Engine House
Visitor Centre at Highley for ticketholders, will create
impetus for greater visitor numbers to the Kidderminster
- Bridgnorth steam heritage line, while easing the strain
on family budgets.
Announcing the big fares reduction today, SVR General
Manager Nick Ralls explained: “We know that keeping
children entertained during the long summer holidays
puts families under a lot of strain, and we’re
very aware that whatever the pundits might be saying,
for many people the recession is far from over.
“By reducing our fares for accompanied children
to just £1 we’re making the railway a more
attractive proposition to families, and what we lose
in fare revenue, we will hopefully make up by running
fuller trains.”
To qualify for the £1 fare, children aged 4 -
15 years need only be accompanied by a fare-paying adult
who buys a return ticket to travel on the line. The
offer holds good for the SVR’s upcoming ‘special
event’ days, including next weekend’s ‘Severn
Valley in Bloom’ (July 24th & 25th), ‘Peep
behind the Scenes’ weekend ( August 7th &
8th) , and Seaside Special weekend (August 28th - 30th),
when the railway imports hundreds of tons of seaside
sand, and creates its own ‘beach’, complete
with Punch & Judy tent , down the line at Arley
station.
‘Kids for a Quid’ is being promoted on Central
TV in the West Midlands - only the second time in the
railway’s 40-year history that it has used television
to advertise a special promotion. “We think this
is the most effective way of getting the message across
to families” said SVR Advertising Account Manager
Brian Tallis.
The licensing and regulation of Shropshire premises
providing tattooing, acupuncture, skin piercing, semi-permanent
skin colouring and electrolysis could soon become more
clear and more consistent.
At present, the different policies and byelaws adopted
by each of the former district and borough councils
before Shropshire Council came into being in April 2009
are still in place, and this has led to a differing
level of regulation across the county.
At the meeting of full Council on 22 July, Shropshire
councillors are being asked to adopt new legislation
to ensure that the same level of service and advice
is provided to businesses across the county.
Councillors are being asked to adopt the provisions
of sections 14 to 17 of Part VIII of the Local Government
(Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
Councillor Mike Owen, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet
member responsible for licensing, said: “Businesses
operating in different parts of the county are currently
subject to differing minimum standards when it comes
to licensing and regulation, and this is potentially
confusing for them and for the public.
“The byelaws adopted by the former district and
borough councils before April 2009 differed from council
to council, and this had led to different regimes within
the Shropshire Council area.
“By adopting the provision of the Act, we would
be able to provide a consistent, service across the
council area, and provide greater certainty –
and clearer advice - to businesses and to the public.”
Councillors are also being asked to adopt the Department
of Health’s model byelaws for tattooing, acupuncture,
skin piercing and electrolysis and semi-permanent skin
colouring.
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