As Chair of West Felton Parish Council here is my report of the September Parish Council meeting for the parish magazine:
The Council welcomed John Thornhill to their ranks at the start of the meeting. John had applied to be co-opted. We still have a couple of vacancies to fill. If you are interested, then please contact the Parish Clerk Rosemary Wood for more information via email: westfeltonpc@googlemail.com
The council’s audit is now completed and included on the council’s website.
Members discussed planning applications for Tedsmore Lakes, Tedsmore Lodge Farm and West Felton Stores. Once again the council objected to the Tedmore Lakes application, fearing sequential development. The others were supported. Also considered were a notice of a planning appeal and an enforcement case.
West Mercia Police Safer Neighbourhood Team had contacted the Parish Council about their Local Policing Community Charter. They asked the council to list the top three concerns for the parish and say how many hours the council realistically expects them to spend in the parish. We replied with Police Presence, Drugs and Traffic control (which included parking and speeding) as our concerns. We also suggested 10 hours a month as a minimum.
Another resident has expressed an interest in volunteering for a community speed watch. If this is something you would be interested in then please contact the Clerk in the first instance.
Shropshire Council has acknowledged receipt of the council’s application to reregister the playing field as a community asset. We expect to hear back from Shropshire Council by the 20th of September. Also on the agenda was a rent review for the playing field and the landlord’s suggested rent rise. Members also reviewed quotes for decompaction of the playing field.
Following continued easing the council agreed to suspend their Covid risk assessment and follow the Chapel’s policy, so hopefully our next meeting will be nearly back to normal.
Conservation Area Status Exhibition & Consultation
At our July meeting we agreed to proceed to the next step and have a public consultation on the proposals for a Conservation Area. The village hall has now been booked for Saturday 23 October for the exhibition and consultation. This will be a drop in event with displays and information available from 10am to 4pm.
In conservation areas there are some extra planning controls and considerations in place to protect the historic and architectural elements which make a place special. Both the old village and the new village have some significant heritage assets, street scenes and settings – the features that make it unique. That character may need more protection now Shropshire Council wants the village to change designation from Open Countryside to being a Community Hub.
Carole Ryan will be in attendance to give information and answer any questions you may have. She is a retired chartered Archaeologist / Historian who was the Head of Historic Environment at Shropshire County Council. Members will also be there to hear your views.
Attendees will be invited to fill in a questionnaire. Your responses will help shape the proposal and help the parish council decide whether to submit the proposal to Shropshire Council.
Please, come along to find out more about the proposals to help protect the village from inappropriate development & let the Parish Council know what you think.
Cllr David Walker
Chair of West Felton PC