North Shropshire residents asked for ways to improve area

People in north Shropshire will have a chance to say how they think local services could be improved when the next meeting of the Action: Market Drayton and Shawbury local joint committee is held next Tuesday (20 May).

The meeting will be held at the Festival Drayton Centre in Market Drayton starting at 7.00pm, and all local residents in the area are invited to attend.

It will give people in the area another chance to meet with local councillors and help decide how the committee spends its annual budget of £65,000 to help improve the area.

Other items on the agenda include services for children with disabilities, and an update on access to the health centre. There will also be an update on projects that have been funded by the committee so far.

This is the fifth time that the committee has met since it was set up 12 months ago.

Karen Calder, Shropshire County Councillor for Shawbury, said: “Action: Market Drayton and Shawbury is proving to be a great way for us to keep local people informed about important local issues, and for them to tell us just how they think the area could or should be improved. I hope as many people as possible will come along to our next meeting.”

David Minnery, Shropshire County Councillor for Market Drayton, said: “We have already make a number of important decisions about how to spend our budget, but we are keen for people to tell us what else they think we could or should be doing.”

At the last meeting, held on 19 March, the committee agreed to fund the following projects:-

- £3,000 to provide shelters at the bowling green at Adderley.
- £6,000 to replace the swings and resurface the ground at the Recreation Ground in Hodnet.
- £1,000 towards a Local Food & Community Festival being organised in Market Drayton in July.
- £5,000 to assist with the setting up of a loyalty card scheme, which will encourage consumers to buy from local retailers and business in north Shropshire.
- £5,380 to provide baby swings for the children's playground in Norton-in-Hales.

Further information

(1) The Action: Market Drayton and Shawbury local joint committee covers a large area including the following parishes: Adderley, Cheswardine, Child’s Ercall, Hinstock, Hodnet, Ightfield, Moreton Corbett and Lee Brockhurst, Moreton Say, Norton-in-Hales, Stanton-upon-Hine Heath, Stoke-on-Tern, Sutton-on-Tern, Weston-under-Redcastle and Woore.

(2) The Action: Market Drayton and Shawbury committee includes local county, district, town and parish councillors.

(3) Action: Market Drayton and Shawbury is one of 11 pilot local committee pilots that will be meeting across Shropshire over the next 12 months.

14 May 2008