Category: Shropshire LibDem News

Charlotte Barnes, Lib Dem Shropshire Councillor for Bishops Castle, has persuaded Shropshire Council to lobby the Government to give Shropshire Youth the same deal on buses as their Welsh Counterparts.

Charlotte said “Young people in Wales aged 16-18 will shortly only have to pay 2/3rds of the full fare on buses following legislation introduced by the Welsh Government

“This will prove a huge bonus for young people in rural areas of Wales like Powys. It will enable them to be able to travel at a reasonable price and have a similar social life to their urban counterparts. Why haven’t we got similar provision in England?”.

“I have formally asked Cllr Simon Jones, Shropshire Councils Portfolio holder responsible for transport and he has agreed to lobby the Transport Minister for this to be introduced in England too.

“I also know that my colleague Cllr Heather Kidd, who represents Shropshire on The Local Government Association has persuaded its People and Places Board to lobby the Government on the same issue.I think it is only fair that Shropshire’s young people get the same treatment as our neighbours in Powys.”

Shropshire Councillor Vivienne Parry (Ludlow South) has called on waste Collectors Veolia and Shropshire Council to get its act together after the latest figures showed waste collection falling across the county.

Vivienne said “Here in Ludlow we have a proud tradition of recycling. The old South Shropshire District Council had the second highest recycling rate in England (54%) ten years ago and it pioneered new technology like the anaerobic digester to deal with food waste.

“Now we have a position where our recycling site for large items at Corder Road has gone and we still have not got cardboard recycling. It is hardly surprising that our recycling figures are going down.”

Shropshire Council figures published this week show a decline to 51%

PEANUTS

Vivienne continued “And what is the response from Veolia and Shropshire Council to encourage more recycling? A £6,000 publicity campaigns – absolute peanuts when you consider that this is a multi million pound contract. This is a rather futile whilst at the same time the council is cutting back on the facilities that allow residents to recycle.

“Every drop in recycling means an increase in landfill tax and that costs the taxpayer money.

“The money spent on glossy leaflets would be much better spent giving residents a better service i.e. providing a full range of doorstep recycling including food waste and cardboard and keeping waste sites like Coder Road open. Collections and centres of this kind are now the norm across the vast bulk of councils across the UK

“I’m also coming across numbers of new residents to the area who are just not being informed of our recycling system or collection dates, which is appalling.”

Vivienne has written to Stephen Charmley , the Shropshire Council Cabinet member respomsible for recycling asking: 1. For a breakdown of the costs of the publicity campaign, 2. Its objectives in terms of increased recycling and 3. What is the Council’s policy on informing new residents about Shropshire’s recycling policy.

by Councillor Tracey Huffer.

Recently the team overseeing the Future Fit programme to reshape announced that it is deferring a decision on the future of A&E services in Shropshire. After more than two years of work, the question of whether the county will be reduced to a single accident and emergency centre at either Shrewsbury or Telford, or whether the current two A&Es will continue. It is now likely to be the autumn of 2016 before the Future Fit board makes this vital decision.

It is very frustrating that no decision has been reached. But it is also an opportunity to undertake a root and branch review of the entire Future Fit scheme (as I called for earlier this week). Too often Future Fit has had its head in the clouds, pursuing dream projects like a new super-hospital between Shrewsbury and Telford. That was never affordable. Because Future Fit didn’t have its feet on the ground, it has failed to recognise the contributions that community hospitals like Ludlow’s can make.

The delay to Future Fit gives an opportunity to change the way that the programme is run. It should be more practical and less theoretical. It should build on the resources we have rather than trying to reinvent things from scratch. Otherwise, Future Fit will only grind to a halt again.

I doubt we will see Future Fit continue in its current form. One reason given for the delay is that the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust is heading for a £23 million deficit. The Clinical Commissioning Groups say this must be cleared before Future Fit can proceed. But how long will that take? And surely, a long-term programme of hospital reform should not grind to halt because of temporary financial shortages?

The delay gives Shropshire Council an opportunity to lobby for retaining an A&E at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Telford and Wrekin council is lobbying hard for an A&E to be retained at the Princesses Royal Hospital. It has even launched a petition to keep the A&E at the PRH.

I am completely disappointed that Shropshire Council has sat on the fence time and time again and failed to back an A&E in Shrewsbury. It ducked the issue at the full council meeting last week, when both campaigner Joyce Brand and I asked questions. It is time for Shropshire Council to stand up for the county it represents

Road safety campaigners in the village of Norbury have been celebrating the installation of a second set of road safety signs outside the village school

Local Shropshire Councillor (and Norbury resident and parent)Charlotte Barnes said "We have a major speeding problem outside Norbury Primary School. After two accidents just outside a number of months ago, the School and myself persuaded the Council to install an array of warning signs outside the school"

Norbury School is unusual as it does not have any speed restrictions on the road (Bishops Castle – Longden) outside the school hence the problem with speeding traffic.

30 MPH ZONE

Charlotte continued "The first warning signs went in due course but we have had to wait for the high visibility flashing signs till this last week. They are already having a real impact slowing traffic – I'm sure a lot of motorists haven't registered until now that there is a school here.

"There are now flashing lights each side of school and further down at the village hall as pupils use this facility regularly. More parking spaces have been put in along with improvements to the side of the road so when parking on the road there is space to get out on the hedge side rather than stepping into the road.

"Although we are grateful this is in place it is a shame that we had to wait for the inevitable accident to happen before significant improvements were made."

"However this is only the first step. Its patently unfair that our primary school is one of the few (if any?) primary schools in Shropshire with a 60mph right outside its front door. Its clearly dangerous for both children and parents. I know money is tight and the Council is hesitant to set up another 30mph zone but surely we are a special case. We will keep pushing on this.

"I would also urge all road users to make a special effort when passing Norbury or indeed any of our primary schools. Not only are there risks in the morning and at home-time but there are often parties of children coming and going throughout the pay and often events involving parents and local residents."