The lead story on the frontpage of last Thursday’s Ludlow Advertiser featured the Ludlow10 race on 9 July. I have never read anything that so fails to represent the views of our town. The article is based on a non-existent survey. It claims to represent the views of Ludlow town centre residents but only one is cited. The resident who was the main source for the article said, “the town was dead” on the night of the race. Nonsense. I was in town from 5.30pm until 10pm. The town was livelier than normal. We can’t afford to let this town die just because a very small number of town centre residents want to dictate how businesses and events are run.
Month: July 2017
Plans for new bungalows and tree felling to go to planning committee next Tuesday
The agenda of the South Planning Committee next week is dominated by three Ludlow schemes for bungalows. They have been called in to committee by Tracey Huffer, who thinks they are sufficiently controversial for decisions to be made by elected representatives rather than officers. All three schemes are promoted by the Shropshire Housing Group. Two of the schemes, for five social bungalows on Sidney Road and a market bungalow on Poyner Close are particularly controversial. Officers are recommending that all three schemes are approved by the committee.
Shropshire Council launches consultation on controversial parking charges
Shropshire Council wants to charge you more for parking (see the consultation). It will cost more to park on the street and to obtain a residents parking permit. Charges to park your vehicle if you are a builder are to soar. Car parks will be more expensive, with full cost charging on Sundays and no free parking until eight in the evening. Limits on how long people can park are to be abolished, ending short stay parking in the town. This scheme is totally wrong for our town. It will damage trade. It will cost residents and visitors more. There is no guarantee than any of the money raised will be used for improvements in Ludlow.
We should know how Shropshire Council spends the £2.7 million profit it makes from parking every year
Here in Shropshire, we are among the country’s top performers in raising cash from car parking. That’s the verdict of the RAC Foundation. Of the 353 local authorities in England, only 57 have made more from car parking than Shropshire over the last five years,after essential costs are deducted. The Foundation says that Shropshire Council made £2,751,000 after running costs in 2015/16. Between 2011/12 to 2015/16, the council took in £13,564,000 over and above that needed to cover its costs.[1] Those making more money than us are London boroughs like Westminster or Camden, or tourist hotspots such as Bath and Brighton.
Son of Saxon to open ‘Victorian pub’ in Ludlow’s High Street
Sandwiched between Walls the butchers and the kebab shop, the former Forest Dog Rescue charity shop at 13 High Street looks forlorn and neglected. Now the 18th century building is about to get a makeover and open as a three room Victorian style pub. This is another project from Son of Saxon – Jon Saxon’s operation that has brought us The Dog Hangs Well at 14 Corve Street and the Ludlow Ledger.