Heather’s Report for February 2022
Bishop’s Castle Hospital Closure: Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust has agreed its 7th October decision was unlawful and is to be quashed.
The Trust – Shropcom – apparently took a decision to close our local hospital behind closed doors, in a private Board meeting on 7th October last year. They told staff on 14th October and then the media picked up the story on 15th October. They closed outpatient services and started moving patients out, and by the end of October, everything was gone. They said it was about safety but they didn’t provide evidence of that. And they didn’t work WITH local people to try and find an alternative to closure.
The Trust has now admitted they’ve acted unlawfully, and that they’ve now re-opened physiotherapy and diabetic eye screening.
I will be working with my Councillor Colleagues and a great number of people in the community to find solutions that will keep the hospital open. It seems that staffing has been the big issue in the past. Hopefully, the Trust will now want to work with us in this very open and inclusive way.
Housing
For many years we have had problems with finding enough affordable homes to rent or buy in our communities for our young people. We also need more 2-3 bedroomed houses for local families. Unfortunately, since to beginning of COVID and the move towards holidaying in the UK, many homes let at a reasonable rent have been turned into holiday lets which makes the situation even worse. House prices and private rental levels have also rocketed making living here even difficult and frequently impossible. Although we are having some affordable homes built at last, it is still nowhere near enough for local families, young people and essential workers.
Updates
Hope School
Heather said: “This was finally passed by the Council. It is good to see that these are 2-3 bedroomed homes but it is hugely disappointing to see that no affordable homes will be built on site. This is a major failing by the developer – CORNOVI – a Company set up by Shropshire Council to build affordable homes! There will be an affordable housing levy – cash – of 0.6 of a house but this will not be used on this site. it cannot even be ringfenced to be spent in the Parish.
Brockton
Some good news here as Connexus Housing Association is going to build 3 affordable homes on the site of the two burned down in Oakfield Cottages last year. No 22 Oakfield Cottages is also being repaired to be re-let.
CHIRBURY
The final signing-off of this project is imminent and the construction of 13 affordable homes should start in the coming months. The second phase of 27 open market housing will follow at some point.
If you are interested in one of these homes you need to register with HOMEPOINT at https://www.shropshirehomepoint.co.uk/Data/ASPPages/1/30.aspx and register through the Housing Solutions link
Best wishes
Heather
Heather Kidd
Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen Division
07887 931567 heather.kidd@shropshire.gov.uk www.heatherkidd.org.uk