South Shropshire residents get chance to boost area

People living in South Shropshire can say how they think the area should be improved when the new ‘Action: Craven Arms and Rural’ local joint committee meets for the first time on Wednesday 25 June at Craven Arms Community Centre. The meeting starts at 7.00pm.

All local people are being encouraged to come along and say what they feel are the important issues facing the local community, and what action needs to be taken to improve the area.

Action: Craven Arms and Rural is a pilot series of meetings to be held four times over the next year. Each meeting will give people in the area a chance to meet with local councillors, and get involved in decisions affecting their community.

The committee has a budget of £20,000 that can be spent on local issues, and people attending each meeting will be able to help decide what the money is spent on.

As part of the pilot, the Craven Arms Partnership will join the committee, and will also continue to distribute Opportunity Fund and Community Chest monies.

Action: Craven Arms and Rural covers the following parishes: Abdon and Heath; Bitterley; Bromfield; Clee St Margaret; Craven Arms; Culmington; Diddlebury; Hopton Cangeford; Stoke St Milborough; Munslow; Onibury; Stanton Lacy, Wheathill, Bedstone and Bucknell, Hopesay, Wistanstow, and Clunbury.

David Evans, Shropshire County Councillor for Corvedale, said: ”This new committee offers local people a great opportunity to say what they think are the important issues facing the Corvedale area at the moment, and to say what they feel could or should be done to help improve and benefit the area.

Cecilia Motley, South Shropshire District Councillor for Upper Corvedale, said: “Action: Craven Arms and Rural will offer people a unique chance to meet with county, district and parish councillors in the same place and at the same time, and tell us what is on their mind. It is an exciting new development for this area, and I look forward to seeing as many people as possible at our first meeting.”

It is one of 11 local joint committees that will be meeting across Shropshire over the next 12 months. Five – including Action Ludlow and Ludlow Rural - have already been meeting for the past year.

For more information, follow the link.

6 June 2008