Heather’s Report for October 2024
GREEN BINS
From October Shropshire Council was due to charge all residents £56 per year per bin for the collection of green waste bins. The Council hopes to raise £4m from this charge which will enable them to keep the recycling centres open (although these will be at reduced hours and you will need to make an appointment!).
Now it transpires that the glue on permit stickers you put on the bin isn’t sticky enough so the scheme is being put back to 4th November! You couldn’t make it up!
There are countless issues with this scheme: The flat rate charge, the payments system that doesn’t work. no monthly charge option, postcodes not being picked up on their computer system.
The collection of food waste is also supposed to end at the same time, which is bizarre because by law Councils will have to collect food waste from 2026
If you have had problems with any of the above, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
CAR PARKS
Shropshire Council agreed in the September Council to sell off some of their car parks. In a measure passed at the last full council in September leases of 30 to 125 years on 10 car parks are going to be sold to private companies. The Council will then run the car parks on behalf of the buyers.
Having asked for redundancies from council employees they now find they have not got the money to pay for the 540 employees’ redundancies – hence selling off the car parks.
As we go to press, the Council had still not revealed which car parks will be leased.
THE BROOK IN WORTHEN
As we speak the following is taking place:
i. The Parish Council is buying a store of sandbags.
ii. Shropshire Council is arranging training for volunteers in putting up warning signs and dispersing sandbags. They can then be covered by Council insurance.
iii. We are awaiting approval of a licence from the Environment Agency to remove silt. The main impediment to a speedy resolution of this is that the EA now make decisions centrally and not locally, resulting in delays in getting a response.
iv. The Parish Council have paid /agreed to pay for an ecologists report and the licence to remove the silt though, as we go to press, the EA are being difficult about accepting cheque payment.
NEW HOMES IN CHIRBURY
The developer is now clearing the site and building work should start soon. The aim is to have the homes ready by August or September 2025.
If you are interested please register with ‘Homepoint’ as soon as possible as there is a 20 week delay in processing applications.
LEIGH ROAD
The B4499, Leigh Road, is due to be closed to allow a new sewer to be laid for a new housing development being built by Shingler Homes on the outskirts of Minsterley.
They indicated this work would take 4 weeks and a full time closure.
I demanded talks with the developer, Shropshire Highways Permitting Department and local Parish Councils. This would simply not be workable for residents either side of the closure.
This meeting has reduced the closure to a maximum of 2 weeks with part of the last week being on traffic lights – hopefully. It will only be a 9.30 to 4pm closure with school buses being able to travel through. Residents will have access to their homes and the works should be plated when there are no workers on site outside the closure times. This will happen towards the end of November.
Heather
Heather Kidd
Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury & Worthen
Co- Leader of the Opposition
Eastville
Chirbury
Montgomery
SY15 6BH
Mobile 07980 635518
Tel. 01938 561651
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