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Archive for the ‘Shrewsbury’ Category

This weekend the town centre streets have been closed to traffic for the Street Theatre Festival – not as good as in previous years as there are a lot of comedians but Tumble Circus was a brilliant act.

Last night we went on a town centre litterpick ahead of the Britain in Bloom judges walking around today – making sure the place is as tidy as possible. It is amazing with so few smokers there are so many dog ends. One usually blames fast-food outlets for litter but there was surprisingly few FF items – a few coffee cups and that was about it. Most of the litter was smoking related – fag ends, fag packets, cellophane wrapping, Rizla fag paper packets with a bit of bubble gum thrown in – a lot of which was centred on places where people sit on benches.

The toll on Shrewsbury’s historic Kingsland Bridge, which has remained unchanged for more than 25 years, could double to help fund a major redecoration of the site.

The Shrewsbury Kingsland Bridge Company has applied to the Secretary of State for Transport to increase the toll charge for motorists to 20p.

A director of the company, said the increase was needed to generate cash for maintenance and redecoration of the bridge.  The toll hasn’t been increased since 1985 and we need to build up funds for major redecoration of the bridge which has cost considerable amount.

We use this bridge at least 5 times a week – bang goes another £25pa – it all mounts up!

Decisions made by council planners in Shrewsbury are encouraging anti social behaviour and creating a ‘concrete ghost town’ in the evening, it is claimed.

The attack on councillors came as they refused an application for a Mediterranean-style cafe underneath the Old Market Hall during the summer.

The cafe would have seen ten small bistro tables served by mobile caterers as part of plans to generate a European-style evening economy in the town and reduce ongoing trouble.

Planning officers recommended approval but the scheme was refused last week amid fears it would have a detrimental impact on the area.

Tory Councillor Dr Maxwell Winchester, for the Quarry and Coton Hill ward, said he was very angry at the decision after working on the scheme with Old Market Hall bosses, especially because the idea came from a community PACT meeting to reduce anti-social behaviour.

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Town/Parish Council backing plea for louder Quarry concerts

A campaign to have the noise levels for live music events in Shrewsbury’s Quarry increased to attract big name acts, has won support from members of the town/parish council.

Tory town/parish Cllr Dean Carroll (erstwhile Lib Dem firebrand!) has called for moves to vary the Quarry’s premises licence to scrap noise restrictions, despite objection from STCRA, which claims the 65 decibels restriction is fair and already attracts suitable acts.

Cllr Carroll addressed a meeting of the town council’s recreation and leisure committee last Wednesday, asking for members’ support. He said: "Entertainment in the Quarry has been a major success story and we have proved as a town council that we can maintain access to the facility and protect our local environment while hosting some fantastic events.

"If we were to look at the complaints, we get more complaints from those visiting our events who generally love the concert but find the music isn’t loud enough and we have often measured sound levels when it is the crowd that is liable to exceed the decibel levels and not the bands.

"We should also consider those complainants who complain about those complaining about the noise and whether they are truly representative of the people in the town."

Chair of the committee Cllr Jackie Brennand said the concerts in the Quarry brought people into the town and encouraged them to spend money. She added that the direction of the wind made a huge difference as to how far the sound travelled.

Committee members gave their unanimous support in recommending the premises licence to be varied as a ‘matter of urgency’.

The matter will come before the full council for a decision on June 14 and views will be sought from the residents’ association.

Last year large numbers of people at an 80s concert in the town complained that the music was too quiet and musicians and singers were drowned out by the crowd. But town centre residents have asked in the past for sound restrictions on Quarry concerts.

Shropshire New Labour Cllr Alan Mosley, who was not present at the meeting, urged the town council to increase the decibel level.

In a letter to members he said: "The enjoyment of recent concerts in the park has been marred by low levels of sound due to the unreasonable restrictions imposed.

"Some occasional noise is a price worth paying for living near to a wonderful amenity and within a flourishing town centre."

A group has been set up on Facebook opposing Shrewsbury Town Centre Residents Association (SCTRA), claiming it does not represent the interests of most people in the town.

So far 475 people have signed up to the campaign which is called “Disenfranchised Shrewsbury Residents”

The group states its aims as to “counteract the appalling influence of the STCRA”.

The group, created by Shrewsbury resident Elliot Howells, objects to statements made by the influential pressure group opposing the number of tables outside a town centre wine bar and plans to remove noise restrictions in the Quarry for live music events.

The group has received a number of comments from people stating the residents association does not speak for them.

The page says: “This is a group purely for the purpose of counteracting the appalling influence of the STVRA.

“Have you lost out? Has your favourite venue been closed down for no good reason? Why are these people strangling the life out of our town? What on earth was the point of the Darwin sculpture?

“How about some live music played at a volume you can hear? Please join up, the sole purpose of this group is to try and give a voice to all us mere mortals who live in and around Shrewsbury and would very much like it to be full of verve and life and variety.”

A spokesman for STCRA said they had decided not to comment.

Commenting on the group’s wall Chloe Evans said: “They may as well put up a new sign, Shrewsbury – Town of Flowers and Residential Home.”

I am a member of STCRA but their precious comments on noise levels have annoyed and confounded me and I have made my views known to the chairman but have been written off as a trouble maker – but as I do attend meetings I have only myself to blame but I think I will join the Facebook group!

Future of sex hotspot toilets to be decided

The future of public toilets in the centre of Shrewsbury – which have been labelled by police as a hotspot for a sexual practice known as “cottaging” – will be discussed behind closed doors at a meeting next week.

The dilapidated toilets in Butcher Row were closed in February after Shrewsbury Town Council took action following advice from police.

Councillor Malcolm Price said West Mercia Police had warned the authority that the lavatories were being advertised on a national website for groups of men to meet up for anonymous sex.

The council said it had closed the men’s toilets after councillors heard that there were concerns for the safety of members of the public and of staff.

Helen Ball, Shrewsbury Town clerk, today said councillors would receive an update on Monday night, but the public will be barred from attending.

Mrs Ball said: “I think a lot of it is because of the unpleasant nature of the matter as well as contractual reasons as well.”

She said any decisions made by the committee will be revealed on Tuesday.

Councillor Price said the council needed to make a decision quickly .

He said: “We closed the toilets in February to see what the public response was and we have signposted people to other areas of the town with regards to public toilet facilities.

“But as a council we have got to make a decision one way or another, whether to retain them in their current form or get rid of them. There could be a revamp but part of the problem is that the toilets are below ground and not really disabled compliant and if they are retained I think they will need to be rebuilt on the ground level.”

Mr Price said that any decisions would be put out to public consultation.

A new camera and a new pic – this is the statue erected by the river Severn in Shrewsbury to mark the bi-centenary of the birth of Charles Darwin in Shrewsbury.  It was very expensive, £400k, and is not like the marquette used to win approval for the project.  However, now that it is finished and the trees have been planted it is a welcome adornment to Shrewsbury – I really like it now.

In an illustrated talk at the Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival on cartooning from Hogarth and Gilray to present day Martin Rowson (Guardian & Independent) vented his spleen with great hilarity – superb.

This years illustrated talk is by political cartoonist Martin Rowson of the Observer and Independent which should be interesting.  Not suitable for children.

Another item that caught my eye is Australian Scrawl 27/03 – 20/06/10 The Chapel Bar, Theatre Severn

Australian Cartoonists give their unique take on the theme of Magic, Myth and Mystery with an exhibition of cartoons in, where else, the bar.