Heather Kidd, Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen, has hit out at the behaviour of Severn Trent Water and their repair teams caused major disruption in her ward recently.

Heather said "Severn Trent fail to deal with leaks until they get pretty serious. They ignore problems until things get worse and then suddenly close a road claiming its an 'emergency'.

Severn Trent

As if we don't have enough problems with our roads, the behaviour of a Severn Trent Water has been a particular source of annoyance to many of us over the last few months.

Like all water companies, Severn Trent have the right to close a road without warning in an emergency i.e. a major leak, broken pipe etc. The problem with Severn Trent is that they allow minor problems to get worse and then close a road without warning claiming that it's an emergency. They do this without telling the Council, residents or myself under emergency procedures.. A while ago for example they closed the road up to Rorrington Hill and went home for the weekend leaving many residents trapped. More recently they closed the Snailbeach Road at Plox Green without warning and causing residents a great deal of aggravation - a situation made worse by abuse from some of their workmen.

Conservative run Shropshire Council will no longer minute Council meetings in full. They will state on occasion that Councillors spoke but not record what issues they raised for their residents or what local services that they fought for. The Lib Dem Group have now decided to publish our own record so that our residents know that we are raising their issues and working for them.

Severn Trent Water continue to cause major disruption in our area.

Severn Trent fail to deal with leaks until they get pretty serious. They ignore problems until things get worse and then suddenly close a road claiming its an 'emergency

This is what happened between Snailbeach and Stiperstones this week. A leak was reported to them on 5^th July (and repeatedly thereafter) but nothing happened until this week when they closed the road to all traffic quoting emergency powers. This caused chaos with the school bus and parents taking their children to school being refused access as was the service bus.

Dear All

For those of you who might be coming home after 9pm in the evening and using the A5 - Highways England are replacing the lighting on the roundabout with the B4386 and the A5 and also the roundabout to Welshpool. Part of their letter to residents is below but the full version and maps are attached above. Closure is between the Edgebold roundabout and the Chuncote roundabout. Using the A488 to Bishops Castle appears to be ok.

Please note that the venue, time and format have changed. The new details are:

• Venue: The Bishop's Castle Town Hall. The meeting will take place in the ground floor 'Market Hall' room.

The location is The Town Hall, High Street, Bishop's Castle, Shropshire SY9 5BG. This venue has disabled access.

• Date Monday 20^th August
• Time: 6pm to 8pm
• Format: The panel at this public meeting will include NHS staff and hospital clinicians who will be able to tell you about the proposed service changes and answer your questions.
• Light refreshments (tea and coffee) will be available.

NHS Future Fit is about improving the hospital services provided at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, to meet the needs of communities across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid-Wales.

The Consultation Event will take the form of a drop in between 4pm and 7pm 8 August. Venue: The Church Barn, Church Lane, Bishops Castle SY9 5AF

Dear All

The road layout will now be changed on Monday 6^th August but may continue until Wednesday 8^th. The existing lines will be removed and new safer lines instated as in my last email. This is dependent on them getting the permit to use 4 way traffic lights so that the work force is safe! Let's hope this time it is completed properly.

Dear All

This is the latest update on the state of your roads and their remedy. This is from the local roads technician

"I've just finished on site with the emergency jetter. The latest information is that Severn Trent Water cannot identify a leak.

• A very short section of damaged drainage pipe below (downhill) of the soft spot has been confirmed by jetting. This will be excavated today and repairs completed Monday. The rest of the system is running smoothly.
• The crater will be back filled today to reduce the hazard but it will not be sufficient to withstand trafficking.
• Unfortunately, the road will remain closed until Monday when we plan to fully backfill and reconstruct the road, pending no other delays.
• Furthermore, the Roadmaster has been down some lanes, namely the old Churchstoke road and Chirbury lane (We knew this !). The other lanes are due to be done next week. I've asked for Rorrington Lane to be done first.

Dear Editor

The staff at Shropshire Council have faced 7 years of very difficult working conditions. Some had pay cuts, most pay freezes, there have been many redundancies both voluntary and compulsory. I was glad to be able this year to support an average pay rise of 6% for these people who work under great pressure with huge workloads in understaffed departments. I could not in honesty support an un budgeted for massive pay rise for senior staff. It isimply was not fair and I did not believe the Council could afford pay rises which would pay for up to 2 ordinary staff.