The Annual Parish Meeting followed by the Parish Council Meeting
Thursday 29th March 2018 7.30 pm at The Lyon Hall, Hodnet.
This is your annual meeting about your parish so please come along
We recently gave advance notice of tree cutting work on the A53. Now roadworks.org is warning of 4 more weeks of similar maintenance work.
The next phase can be found listed here, but if the date range is extended to ‘Next 3 Months’ then all the phases are listed.
Details for each location are listed below, click on the map for larger image.
A: 26 Feb – 3 Mar
Location: A53 Heathbrook Junction To Lostford Junction
Traffic lights, etc: Traffic control (two-way signals)
Description: Tree cutting works
Works ref: UJ015282014531
B: 5 Mar – 9 Mar
Location: A53 Heathbrook Junction To Lostford Junction
Traffic lights, etc: Traffic control (two-way signals)
Description: Tree cutting works
Works ref: UJ015282014532
C: 12 Mar – 16 Mar
Location: A53 Heathbrook Junction To Lostford Junction
Traffic lights, etc: Traffic control (two-way signals)
Description: Tree cutting works
Works ref: UJ015282014533
D: 19 Mar – 20 Mar
Location: A53 Espley Roundabout To Stoke On Tern Junction
Traffic lights, etc: Traffic control (two-way signals)
Description: Tree cutting works.
Works ref: UJ01528201451
E: 21 Mar – 22 Mar
Location: A53 Espley Roundabout To Stoke On Tern Junction
Traffic lights, etc: Traffic control (two-way signals)
Description: Tree cutting works.
Works ref: UJ015282014514
Friday 9th March, starting at 7:30pm
Teams of 4. Entry fee – £10 a team
Bring your own refreshments.
Please contact Nicola on 07989-104344 to book a table.
Roadworks.org has published information of work on the old A53, between Wollerton and Lostford, taking place tomorrow Friday 23rd Feb.
The notice reads:
From Drayton Field to Lostford Junction A53, Market Drayton, Shropshire
23 February
Delays likely Traffic control (two-way signals)
Works location: o/s Greenfields Lostford Market Drayton Shropshire TF9 3LT
Works description: Openreach access to overhead structures to install new cables.
2 WAY LIGHTS REQUIRED FOR 1 DAY 0930-1530 NO EXCAVATION REQUIRED
Responsibility for works: Openreach
Works reference: BC005CB1W000000CSR370254
Sunday 11th March
Attingham Park – National Trust
Meet in the car park at 1:45pm for 2:00pm.
An admission fee will be payable by anyone who is not a member of the National Trust.
All ages welcome.
In case of forecasted wet weather please check here (or phone Randall on 01952-540970) after noon on the day.
See our page for more information about the Peplow Community Group.
When the Peplow Community Group gathered for their monthly walk on Sunday 11 February, the weather was more than unpredictable. The snow and ice predicted in weather warnings during the morning had not covered the county in white. Hoping the afternoon would also remain largely dry, twelve people decided to brave the cold and headed for Coundmoor near Cressage. The wind was biting but the sun was bright as we headed away from our cars. We had not gone far when the sky darkened and hail was being driven into our faces.
Our guide encouraged us to press on and by the time we reached the path which follows Coundmoor Brook [map] the hail had stopped and the steep sides of the valley proved more than adequate shelter from the wind. Here we were encountered stunning displays of wild snowdrops along the banks of the stream – see photos below. They certainly made braving the wintry weather worthwhile.
Once we left the valley our circular route offered us panoramic views first across Shrewsbury, and later of the Wrekin. Thankfully there were no more hail showers, plenty of sunny spells and just one short shower of light snow.
Coundmoor Brook would certainly be a pleasant walk in spring and summer, pity that the snowdrops only bloom at this time of the year.
On Jan 26th 3 members of the Hodnet Footpath Group (HFG), fed up with the bad weather that has cancelled many past planned workparties, decided to go ahead with a workparty to replace two stiles near long lane [on walks 6 & 7] , even though sleet was forecast – later. We were very pleased to find we were assisted by a new recruit [thanks Dave] and a volunteer [thanks Alex].
Little did we know that the Met office’s ‘later’ would turn out to be ‘now’! – but once you have taken down a stile [we had] you really have to re-erect it [we did, despite rain, sleet, snow and seeping cold]. However, the end result was two new stiles with added dog gates, and despite the outward appearances we managed to work hard enough to stay warm.
Anyway, we hope people enjoy using them, and we’d be even happier if this little tale of adversity inspired you to join us or otherwise give us a hand (now and then) in such work, and other general footpath improvements we carry out.
BEFORE – Woodside stile, damaged and wobbly step
The woodside crew – wet but satisfied! – L to R: Alex, Derek, Richard
– and not forgetting our Chairman Steve who was behind the camera between rebuilding the other stile with Dave.
See our webpage for more details of who we are, what we do and how to get in touch.
Here’s to the next workparties (Feb 24th and April 4th] – hopefully with much better weather.
Dave’s baptism of fire, halfway through now! The job (well) done
Shropshire Council is encouraging the county’s farmers to apply for a share of a £60 million fund made available by the Government. According to the Shropshire Newsroom announcement the RDPE [Rural Development Programme for England] Countryside Productivity Small Grant was scheme was launched on 7 February. It is intended to help farmers achieve improvements in either animal welfare, resource efficiency or nutrient management.
Farmers in England can apply for funding between £3,000 and £12,000 – up to 40% of the total cost. The RDPE Countryside Productivity Small Grant scheme provides funding for farmers to purchase equipment to improve the productivity of their farm. The Small Grant Handbook is available as a PDF document from the above page or click this direct link.
Applications have to be made on-line, and have a submission deadline of noon on 14 March.
Small Grant Application Portal
Roadworks.org has published two advance notices of work on the A53, Hodnet by-pass, covering three days from Monday 12th to Wednesday 14th February 2018. Both are to allow for tree cutting and traffic will be controlled by ‘Stop/Go Boards’.
It appears that on the first day (Mon.) the work will take place to the Shrewsbury side of Espley Roundabout (A53/A442 junction), whilst on the following two days it will be carried out between Espley and Tern Hill roundabouts.
Here are the two notices:
A53 From Hopton Church Junction to Espley Roundabout, Hodnet, Shropshire
12 February
Delays likely Traffic control (Stop/Go boards)
Works location: A53 – Hodnet Bypass
Works description: Tree cutting works
Responsibility for works: Shropshire
Works reference: UJ015282014481
A53 Heathbrook Junction to Lostford Junction, Hodnet, Shropshire
13 February — 14 February
Delays likely Traffic control (Stop/Go boards)
Works location: A53 – Hodnet Bypass
Works description: Tree cutting works
Responsibility for works: Shropshire
Works reference: UJ01528201453
Roadworks.org is carrying information on a two day closure of Lostford Lane, Mickley, on Monday 12 & Tuesday 13 February.
There are five different pieces of information available on the map, some of which appear to contradict each other. For example whilst some say “road closure” others state “delays unlikely”! Here is a combination of the relevant information:
Road closure 12 Feb – 13 Feb
Shropshire Council
Information for Road Users
Cause: Streetworks
Closure in force: All the time
Name: Lostford Lane, Market Drayton
Description: Road Closure – s50 New electric supply (Hawk Construction & Utilities Ltd)
Highway authority: Shropshire
Data source: Shropshire Council
