01/10/2012 - Permalink

Longden, Ford and Rea Valley LJC on 10 October

Related topics: Democracy

Longden, Ford and Rea Valley Local Joint Committee (LJC) will be holding their next meeting on Wednesday 10 October 2012 at Ford Village Hall, starting at 7pm. 

Part of the meeting will be about cars, and asking residents for their ideas on how we can make out villages safer to walk in and for our children to play and cycle in.  A senior officer from Shropshire Council will be there to explain current policy and what the council are doing, and to listen to any new ideas that are voiced.  A new consultation will soon be launched on village speed limits, so this will be your chance to have early input into this important piece of work. 

Local police officer PC Jon Summerfield will be present to answer questions and also update everyone on any crime issues.  Jon is now adding Ford to his area, and this will give local residents a good chance to meet and talk with him. 

Members have also asked how Shropshire Council are helping local businesses both start up and expand, plus how they are lobbying central government to increase bank lending. The business and enterprise manager, Mark Pembleton, has agreed to come and explain, and answer questions. 

Roger Evans, Chair of the LJC, commented: 

“Our rural economy needs to be protected and boosted to increase local employment.” 

The committee will consider grant applications for just over £10,000 from local community groups for funding.  In this financial year the LJC has already supported 12 projects, including a start-up grant for Kickz, a community dance group in Hanwood; a gardening project at Longleat sheltered housing scheme; and a grand piano for school and community use at Mary Webb School and Science College.  The LJC has also repeated a very successful youth transport scheme, which has supported local young people aged between 14 and 17 years old with travel tokens to be used on buses or taxis during summer and Christmas holidays.  This scheme was so popular during this summer that the committee agreed to extend the original £1,500 available for the project by an additional £300. 

Projects under consideration at this meeting will be: 

  • Renovation of a strip of land in Ford Parish Hall car park
  • Promotion of the Rea Valley local produce market
  • Building an extension at Habberley Village Hall
  • Severnside providing ‘pamper days’ at sheltered housing schemes across the area for residents and the local community
  • Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s ‘Wild A@venture’ youth project 

Roger Evans added: 

“This LJC meeting is a way for residents to hear about and question what is happening in their area.  I want and hope that local people will come and bring up the items that concern them now and what they would like us to discuss in more depth at future meetings.  If it is important to anyone in our community, then let’s make it important for this LJC or a future one.  We always try to answer as many questions on the night, but if not we will know someone who can.” 

For more information please contact Rachel Johnson, community action officer, on 01743 252483 or rachel.johnson@shropshire.gov.uk.