REPORT FOR JANUARY 2016
HOUSING IN SHROPSHIRE
Current housing policies are slowly killing many communities in Shropshire by making it almost impossible for young people to buy (or rent) their first home.
Research by Shropshire Council showed that the average price of homes in Shropshire in 2013 was £150,000 for a semi-detached and £245.000 for a detached. The median income for couples in Shropshire during 2015 was only £27,500. In practical terms a couple need to raise a deposit of £30k and have a joint income of £48k just to purchase a semi detached in the County.
The SAMDev plan that has gone out to consultation talks a great deal about the numbers of housing required but next to nothing about the type of housing needed by our rural communities. The vast bulk of housing built recently has been 4/5 bedroomed houses of which we have a glut in south Shropshire. We desperately need more starter homes and 3 bed houses so our young people have a fighting chance of getting on the housing ladder.
Everyone who has an interest in the wellbeing of our communities to actively work locally to make sure planners know the type of housing needed in their villages to keep our shops and village schools alive. Make your views known on www.shropshire.gov.uk/cus/servlet/ before 11th February.
Old Mill Close Worthen
The development continues but there are some serious unanswered questions about the plans as we go to print. Planning officers were meant to visit the site but we are still waiting. Much of the agreed plans were in the end decided by planners under ‘reserved matters’ regulations but there are areas of this project which were not clear from the published plans. I am continuing to press for clarification on a number of issues..
BT
From late December onwards the broadband service provided by the newly upgraded Worthen Exchange disappeared for large numbers of residents in an area extending from Brockton through Worthen to Aston Piggot and up to Pentervin and Bentlont. Others saw their speeds crash. It was patently clear that there was a major failure at this exchange but BT were simply unwilling to admit it. Instead they fobbed off residents with bland excuses whilst customers, including many businesses, were left to suffer.
After a lot of hassle I managed to get BT to sort the exchange out. If anyone is still having problems let me know. What I really want them to do however, is get their act together so that this kind of trauma doesn’t happen again.
Halvan Bridge, Snailbeach
For the latest updates on this and other road works,je-mail me at the address shown below or become a friend on facebook
CAMERA VAN CATCHES 62 Police camera vans have caught 62 motorists speeding through Chirbury, Marton, Brockton or Worthen in the period September to December 2015.Heather says “Hopefully this will send a message to the irresponsible few who persist in speeding through our villages.
GULLIES AND DRAINS
The bad weather over the last two months has saturated the ground and many gullies and drains remained blocked since last autumn. I have reported many (e.g. Marton Hill) for urgent clearing but please do not hesitate to contact me if you have overflowing drains near you. Please also report any empty grit bins as January and February usually brings a cold snap.
Best wishes
Heather Kidd,
Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen
07980635518 heather.kidd@shropshire.gov.uk
www.heatherkidd.org