Housing and benefits on the agenda at Lydham meeting

The next meeting of the Bishop’s Castle, Chirbury, Worthen and Clun Local Joint Committee (LJC) takes place on Thursday 14 February at 7pm at Lydham Village Hall.

The focus of the meeting will be housing.  Members of Shropshire Council’s benefits team will be giving a presentation on changes to benefits, and what potential impact these will have on local people.

Mal Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for housing; Martin Holland, Chief Executive of South Shropshire Housing Association; and Jonathan Brown, from the Bishop’s Castle Community Land Trust, will be speaking about how their respective organsiations are responding to these changes, and making sure that the housing available to local people meets there needs. 

There will also be a drop-in session between 6pm and 7pm for anyone concerned about the impact of benefit changes on their families. 

Members of the public will also have the chance to ask questions of all the speakers.

Charlotte Barnes, Shropshire Councillor for Bishop’s Castle and Chair of the LJC, commented:

“The changes to housing benefits occurring this year are significant, and are already generating concerns nationally about how the changes will affect people.  We hope that the LJC will help people understand what is happening locally.  We’re particularly keen that anyone with concerns about the changes comes along to the drop-in session from 6pm where advice will be available.

“We’re also going to look at the wider issue of how we provide suitable housing in the area over the coming years.  Our speakers are from local housing providers and will be able to provide us with details of their future plans for the area.”

The meeting will also review the latest requests for grant support from the LJC, which include support for a new mountain bike event in Norbury, and the purchase of new computer equipment for Chirbury Broadplace.  The public can also ask questions of their local councillors; and there will be updates on news from the parishes in the area, a question and answer session with local councillors, and an update on news from the parishes in the area.

Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting and join in the discussions.