November Update

Update on Shifnal Medical Practice

Dr Rashpal Bhachu has kindly provided the following comments and images for the new medical practice in Shifnal:

• Contractors are now in place and the project team are finalizing paperwork and should have everything signed early this week. However, diggers have already arrived on site (14th November) and materials have been delivered.
• The project team expect work to start by the end of November and completion by October / November 2023.

Winter Warm Hubs

As many residents will be aware the impact of the cost of living crisis is having a dramatic effect on many households with people having to make difficult decisions on how to manage their often fixed incomes.
Many communities are coming together to find imaginative ways to aid and assist one another through these difficult times.
The concept of Winter Warm Hubs was introduced to members in September and is also being highlighted in many nationwide communications.
The project in Shifnal has been started very effectively by the Churches Together members, with 60 volunteers initially offering support following a social media advertising campaign, these have been sourced from many areas including new faces that have never been involved in such projects before.
There has also been discussions with MHA Live at Home although
funding/staffing is proving a restriction on this at this time.
The Council have indicated that community buildings such as the Old Fire Station and Community Hub may be available but would require a full complement of volunteers on a regular basis to service these areas. This is being developed as the need for additional space arises.

St Andrews Church have opened the first warm hub at their building on 7th November 2022 and the numbers utilising this have increased throughout the days. The first two weeks have seen increasing numbers from initially 16 per day to 60 on days where other activities are happening in the building. The service offers a warm welcoming space with trained volunteers that can assist
with signposting for support in financial and health related services. They are offering warm drinks and soup if required and are working closely with the Shifnal Food Bank service. They are currently utilising borrowed equipment from other sources. If more volunteers can be sourced then further hubs can be opened, if required, at the other venues.

The Council are to investigate the use of the Community Bus to support transport to venues.

The Council has agreed to initially fund the purchase of equipment
such as kitchen utensils, crockery, water heaters and slow cookers at a cost of approximately £2,000. I’m sure everyone would agree this is a good cause worthy of the Council’s support, and is the right thing to do.

Electric Vehicle Charging Points in Shifnal and Albrighton

Residents may be aware of a recent article in the Shropshire Star and related decisions at Shropshire Council Cabinet meeting held on 9th November 2022 as follows;

• To agree the use of £0.6m of match funding from Council budgets for a contract to install an additional 270 electric vehicle charge points in 40 locations across Shropshire.
• To note the receipt of £0.903 million in grant from the Government’s On-street Residential Charge-point Scheme.
• To authorise the entering into of an installation contract between the Council and Connected Kerb.

Full details of the project can be found at https://shropshire.gov.uk/committee-services/documents/s32912/Electric%20Vehicle%20Chargers%20for%20Residents%20Without%20Off-street%20Parking-18102022%201621.pdf

The Town Council are querying the locations of chargers and also the impact that this may have on the Town’s car parking facilities.

Average Speed Cameras on A41

The MP for the Wrekin, the right honorable Mark Pritchard has been working with Shropshire County Councillors, members for Telford and Wrekin Council and cross-border representatives to have average speed cameras installed on the A41.

We are hopeful that these will be approved by the Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion, although the exact siting of the cameras will be an operational decision.