February 2014

Town Council welcomes crackdown on vehicle-related crime

Shipston’s Safer Neighbourhood Team, led by PC Craig Purcell, has been cracking down on vehicle-related crime across the town and local area, with impressive results.

Following a number of complaints from residents and town councillors about speeding, obstruction of pavements and junctions, and illegal parking, the policing team decided to get tough. Since December, Community Safety Officers, accompanied by PC Purcell, have been a very visible presence on the town’s streets.

Over 98 speeding offences have been recorded since the last Community Forum in December, 38 of which were in Shipston. Six vehicles have been seized for offences including theft of fuel, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

Cones have been placed on streets to try and prevent inconsiderate parking on busy junctions and residential streets, including around the medical centre, primary school, and in the vicinity of the two building sites on Stratford Road. Letters are due to be issued to parents and residents in worstaffected areas to help tackle the parking problems.

PC Craig Purcell said "We recognise the challenges some residents face in parking around the medical centre and schools but public safety is our priority. Vehicle-related crime has been the number one concern raised by residents since I joined the team at Shipston and we’re determined to crack down on speeding, illegal parking and other issues which can directly affect the safety of residents.

"Mayor, Ronnie Murphy, said "I am delighted to see the Safer Neighbourhood Team taking such a proactive approach to this issue. I hope that by focusing on these activities, residents and visitors to the town will be encouraged to drive safely and be considerate to other road and pavement users."

Visit www.warwickshire.police.uk/shipston_bigvote by 3rd March to vote for forthcoming police priorities.

Shipston electorate to head to the polls again

Just a few months after the last town council election, Shipston residents will be receiving polling cards once again to fill the council seat vacated by Alan Noyce. Thanks to a little known by-law, an election must be called if requested by 10 or more members of the electorate.

Following such an application by a group of Shipston residents, the vacant post cannot be filled by council nomination and an election will go ahead provided more than one person puts their name forward for the post.

The election will take place on the 3rd April and polling cards will be sent out in the next few weeks.

Mayor, Ronnie Murphy, said "Many town councillors are concerned that we have been put in a position where we have to hold an election at considerable cost to the town, despite the fact that all seats will be up for re-election anyway in May 2015. However, we urge all eligible residents to make the most of the election by voting on 3rd April."

Combined with the election in December, the town will have spent over £6,000 in election fees in this financial year.

Flood Forum starts work in Shipston

Local residents have answered the call for volunteers to join a local Flood Forum, which held its first meeting last month.

Shipston’s Flood Forum is one of ten being set up across Warwickshire. Keen to involve as many members of the community as possible, the Forum members will look to engage and disseminate information across Shipston and will be looking at ways to enable residents to raise issues and keep up to date with plans. The Flood Forum will develop an action plan in response to issues of most concern locally.

The Shipston group, with support from the National Flood Forum, will then meet with all agencies responsible for flood risk to encourage better partnership working.

The group is in its very early stages and further updates will be published in the Shipston Forum. For more information, contact the Town Clerk on 662180.

A vision in wool

A vision in woolLocal resident, Sid Peachey (pictured with Mayor, Ronnie Murphy) has been busily working his knitting needles to produce this fantastic blanket in support of Hamlin Fistula UK.

Following the call from members of the Wool Fair Committee a few months ago, Mr Peachey began knitting squares to be made up into a shawl for the only UK charity exclusively supporting the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia.

Those attending the hospital are often very poor and malnourished. Hamlin Fistula UK provides individual shawls which are given to hospital patients that they then take home with them to keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.

Thanks to help from his friends, Mrs Kath Roe, Mrs Oakey and Mrs Marion Smith, who sewed the individual squares together, Mr Peachey was able to present the shawl to Ronnie Murphy, who said "I am thrilled to receive this wonderfully bright shawl on behalf of the Wool Committee. We will ensure it gets sent to Hamlin Fistula UK and on to someone in need in Ethiopia."

There is still time to get knitting to support this charity. The guidelines are that squares should be knitted in garter stitch using double knitting wool and UK no 8 (4mm) needles. The squares will need to be stitched together to make shawls of approximately 36 inches by 48 inches, although the stitching can be done by friends and committee members if needed.

Please drop your brightly coloured squares in at New Clark House or for more information, call 01608 662180.