Nerws from Councillor Stanton

Council Work Continues.......

Over the past few months I have been working on a number of ward issues that you have brought to my attention, as well as continuing to pressure the council on delivering our (the Conservatives) election manifesto of 2007. As I’m sure you all remember, the big issue in 2007 was the High Street ‘build-outs’. Well, if you take a look down our High Street now, they have gone! Traffic is moving again during peak times and the town is better for it. However, does this mean the work stops there? Absolutely NOT. With the promise of £1.5 million of regeneration money, brought forward by your elected Conservative administration, it is important that we the Council deliver not only more improvement but also the kind of improvement that you, Newport’s residents, want. According to consultation held earlier on in the year, Improvements to the towns centrally located Victoria Park are a must (making it more accessible) and a new play area will be delivered on site by next summer. However, the biggest concern is still the High Street. With arguments for and against, the road layout is still a hot topic for debate. However, one thing is for sure, the pavements must be improved. In 2007, I stood on a promise of ‘actively pursuing a better answer to pedestrian safety in and around the town’. In 2010, this promise of fighting for your pedestrian safety will pay off. Plans for the de-cluttering of our footways and improvements to our town centre’s footpaths will become a reality. Your vote counted. Going forward, my work doesn’t stop there either! As your elected representative, I continue to fight for you and deliver on my election promises. I have helped many residents in recent times, primarily with local planning disputes, and hope to continue to do so. Please contact me on (07794) 213515.

Garden Party

For a number of reasons it has proved necessary to postpone the garden party arranged for 5th July.

It will be a few weeks after, perhaps in August.

We shall post the revised date here as soon as we have it.

Garden Party date fixed

The Garden Party of the Newport Rural Branch will be on

Sunday 5th July 2 p.m. to 6 p.m

Tickets, costing £5, which will include entry to a raffle, will be available soon - please ask any councillor or official.

We invite all members, supporters and friends to join us.

The High Street

Message from Councillor Eric Carter reads:

Newport¹s controversial bus build out is to be ripped out in August after three years of widespread outcry and a petition of 3,000 signatures calling for a chop on the shambolic traffic calming measures.

Blasted at the time as a "total pig¹s ear", the bus build out was installed in May 2006, under Telford & Wrekin Council's Labour administration, and caused outrage as residents feared for their safety while at time, the High Street became gridlocked.
But this week Telford & Wrekin said removal works on the build out, including some of the pinch points, will get underway in August.

Telford & Wrekin cabinet member for regeneration,Councillor Eric Carter said it was time for the "mess" to be cleared up.
"We made an election promise to get rid of the bus build out and the pinch points and that is what we are going to do. They should not have been put there in the first place."

"Work will start in August on removing the bus build out and some of the pinch points but I believe that they should all go because they are in a conservation area so it¹s time for the mess to be cleared up," he said.

At the time the Advertiser had a record post bag as Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard and Newport Chamber of Commerce got on board to rid the town of the eyesores.

Concerns over pedestrian crossings being scrapped were also quashed this week as Councillor Carter added that the central island outside B&M will remain.
"I don¹t want people to panic. We are not going to jeopardise safety by removing the central island on the High Street because a lot of people use that to cross the street," said Councillor Carter.

Also being scrapped are any signs, poles and bollards that are no longer needed with the High Street remaining a 20 mph zone.

The build-out removal is separate to the regeneration work but will make way for the High Street revamp to begin later this year.
Councillor Carter added: "Essential items such as bins, benches and bus stops will also be provided where they are needed."

Norbroom Skatepark

Councillor Carter reports that improvements to the skatepark area are imminent.

These will include improving the driveway to the skatepark, which will also benefit people other than skateboarders.

Also included are plans to deal with the shielding wall. The present proposal is to clean off the anti-graffiti grey paint, which some residents feel spoils their outlook, and to paint it with more bucolic or nature images and then coating the result with clear anti-graffiti paint. The hope is that it will present a greener and more natural appearance, and improve the outlook for people lving nearby.

Newport announcement

Please make sure to read the Newport Advertiser on April 24th.

There will be an important announcement about Newport.

If you miss the Advertiser, please look here, as we hope to publish what the paper reveals.

Newport East Ward

A message from Councillor Carter:

Pothole busters from T & W will be filling in the potholes at the junction of Hampton Drive and Lapworth Way. This work should be completed in the next 48 hours.

Tarmacing will also take place on the path from Vineyard Road through Norbroom Park, and some speed bumps will be created to curb speeding vehicles.

Graffiti art will "adorn" the wall in front of the skateboard park. This will be supervised by Mark Simpson from Skate8, and will be on the inside of the wall only, i.e. facing the park. Councillor Carter is in discussion with the Parks Department to see if a soil mound could be built in front of the wall, with planting, to screen the park from residents, view.

Newport Consultation Exercise

A public consultation is taking place from 14 to 27 March for the Newport Regeneration proposals. The aim is to gather the views of the people of Newport as to how Borough Town Initiative funding should be spent in Newport. There are four proposed projects that it is believed would most benefit the town:

- Newport Canal
- Central Square
- High Street
- Victoria Park

Unfortunately it will not be possible to complete all of the work proposed within the funding available, so we are seeking public opinion to help us prioritise.

The main exhibition will take place at Cosy Hall in Newport, with additional displays in Waitrose and Somerfield. Dates and times are listed below:

Cosy Hall
Saturday 14 March 10am – 4pm Tuesday 17 March 5am – 8pm
Friday 20 March 10am – 12noon
Saturday 21March 10am – 4pm
Wednesday 25 March 5pm – 8pm
Friday 27 March 10am – 4pm

Waitrose
Monday 16 March 10am – 12 noon
Thursday 26 March 2pm – 4pm

Somerfield
Thursday 18 March 10am – 12 noon
Monday 23 March 2pm – 4pm

PLEASE BE LOYAL TO NEWPORT, By Cllr. Adrian Meredith

In a small town like Newport, traders & businesses always struggle to make ends meet and never more than at the present time. 2009 is going to be a very difficult year in every ones life and especially in the lives of our shop keepers. Newport is notorious for its high rents and the expensive council tax levied on business premises.

We all like to think of Newport as our town, we like to think of it as a traditional market town, as a vibrant town with its own identity, with its own individual character and with its own individual shops (many of which are privately owned by local people). Specialist shops fill the High Street in such a way that is difficult to find any where else. However, We need to and MUST look after our lovely, unique and ever popular little town. As one of your Borough Council representatives I implore you to, wherever possible, shop locally and support the local business people, be they shops or professional service providers. They will need our support to survive in the difficult period which faces us all over the next two or three years, a period the like of which many will not have experienced before.

Our neighbours, Market Drayton, have no less than 20 empty shops in their town centre (most of which were locally owned when the town was thriving not too many years ago). Now they have gone and gone forever. We can’t allow this to happen to Newport and yet it so easily could if we don’t do our bit to preserve what we have.
Please shop in Newport and help to preserve our town’s unique character and prestigious market town identity.

If we don’t support our towns traders, who will ?

Wellington Road School Crossing, By Cllr. Adam Stanton

Those of you that read the Newport Advertiser will be pleased to hear another update on this. Thanks to constant pushing by your local Conservative representatives, we have finally been able to bring this much needed project to fruition (after years of un-kept promises). After a very thorough consultation exercise, a core part of your local Conservative’s agenda, I can happily announce that work on the Puffin Crossing will commence on February 9th and will take approximately two weeks to complete. The crossing will offer a safe environment for both parents and children to cross the busy Wellington road and will be located between the Girls’ High School’s vehicle entrance and vehicle exit.

St Peter's and Paul's School, By Cllr. Dan Ashley

I was invited to see the traffic problems at the school by the PTA a couple of months ago. It seems the problems stem from cars parking on the schools grounds at the roundabout and by the school entrance. (On a couple of occasions I witnessed cars going round the roundabout the wrong way!) I am currently talking to Telford and Wrekin to come up with a school travel plan and options to increase traffic safety in and around the area (proposals will be drafted up and sent to the PTA for discussion). In the mean time, can I please ask parents dropping off and picking up their children from the School that they are mindful of other pedestrians.

Millwood Mere, By Cllr. Tim Nelson

Just a brief update on progress regarding the Mere. We have identified with the Borough Council three stages of work that are needed or desired at Millwood Mere:

The first was to clear away banks of nettles that had overgrown and open out the Mere by some limited trimming of the trees/bushes. This has been done. The feedback I have had so far has been positive from both residents and dog-walkers ‘Nice to see the Mere finally tidied up’.

The second stage was to attack the reeds! The Mere is a Victorian era Fire reservoir, dug about the same time as the Baddersley and Town wells. The reeds, lilies and bull-rushes are a perfectly natural feature of a pool such as the Mere, however, in time they will take over, encouraging ‘silting up’. In December, I am pleased to report, the Borough’s river contractors cut back the overgrown reeds, and deposited the cut material on the bank so all the displaced aquatic creatures could make their way back to the water.They have done a great job, and the Mere is now a much better water environment, for water fowl and fish etc.

The final stage of works proposed needs your input: What would you like to see? Ideas include maybe another bench for picnicking families in the Summer? perhaps a smarter sign (like the one on Hutchinson’s Way)? We’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on the Mere’s Future…………

Car Parking Issues, By Cllr. Roy Scammell

At the December Council meeting, Cllr Tony Forrester raised the problem of parking in Newport. Like all towns we have a shortage of parking spaces and drivers are parking indiscriminately (in particular in St. Mary’s Street). This causes problems for drivers of large vehicles delivering to shops there. We also have problems in the High Street with people parking on pavements and business people leaving cars parked in a restricted parking area all day. All we ask is that when drivers park that they obey the parking regulations and consider pedestrians by not parking or driving on pavements.

Newport Regeneration, By Cllr. Eric Carter

As Cabinet Member for Regeneration I thought it important to let you know of the progress we are making:
1. Woolworths – I have been in touch with the liquidators who confirmed that the lease on the Newport store has been assigned to a new occupier, who cannot be revealed at this time. However, I do have word that the premises will not be empty for much longer and I will make sure that more details are forthcoming once available.

2. The former Taylor’s shop will be opening at the end of January when we will welcome Jaspers Bakery to the town. Jaspers already have an outlet in Penkridge and will be a great asset to the High street.

3. Since our last newsletter I am delighted to see the reopening of the Royal Victoria Hotel which is such an important part of our heritage.

4. I am pleased to report that our major schemes for the transformation of Victoria Park, Canal Corner, the Canal and the Central Square area are also well advanced and public consultations will be held in February before submitting the schemes to T&W for final approval.

5. Vineyard Drive has had some remedial repairs to the road surface but I can report that further significant work will take place before March 2009. I will keep residents informed when this work is to commence.

6. Norbroom Park - Major resurfacing work on the road between Vineyard road and the Canal will be undertaken to coincide with the Skate Park’s installation in March 2009, ensuring we do not have repetition of the potholes that residents have had to contend with in the past.
If you would like to know more or discuss an area which I haven’t mentioned please feel free to contact me on 07794213513 or on eric.carter@telford.gov.uk