Several weeks ago at the Stourport launch of the local Policing Initiative we discusses problems arising in Farfield, Kidderminster where the "Access Only" order is being regularly breached particularly by taxis using it as a shortcut and by commuters using the street as a free car park for Kidderminster Station. We agreed that the public perception that the Police are unwilling to enforce the "Access Only" order is impacting extremely negatively on resident confidence in the local Beat Manager and Officers.

You assured me that these matters would be addressed and we discussed the possibility of some "intense" Police action early in the morning on two or three days to deter and if necessary "book" offending motorists.

I was very disappointed to read the subsequent comment from PC Fearnell in The Shuttle to the effect that as the Police had not supported the introduction of the "Access Only" order they could hardly be expected to enforce it. As you can imagine this has further angered residents.

In the last three weeks I have phoned your office on more than ten occasions asking you to call me on my mobile phone. To date I have received no response. We have had to inform residents accordingly. I feel it is extremely important that we do discuss the situation before local residents take matters into their own hands. Please phone me as soon as possible. If I am in a meeting I will return your call as soon as I can.

Flavours of Europe Market...

Kidderminster Town Centre

28th - 29th October

"There will be approximately 25 traders largely food  associated with a number of countries such as : France, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Italy, Greece & UK"

New developments in Tory leadership race...

(No, this isn't an original joke! Anyone know where it came from? Answer later)

Great unfulfilled promises of history...

BALDWIN ROAD / BRUCE ROAD, KIDDERMINSTER: TRAFFIC CALMING

"...works will not commence until 1996 / 97..."

- Letter from County Council to local resident dated 14th March 1995.

W H Smith....

Over the years I must have spent a fortune in W H Smith in Kidderminster. So the changes affect me along with many other local shoppers. Here's my view so far...

The new book shop is OK but it lacks any sort of "Wow" factor. It's a sort of conventional mini-Waterstones sort of styling. The 26 stairs to the upstairs floor don't really help. Having a proper bookshop again in Kidderminster is however basically extremely welcome.

The re-designed Vicar Street shop is a different matter. When I was down there on Saturday it was a shop of two parts.  The front third was crammed with people buying papers and magazines. The back two-thirds, where they seem to have gone into competition with Partners and Staples, was almost empty. The DVD section didn't seem to have much more to offer and the CD section has shronk to the extent of becoming pointless. 

It will be intersting to see how they do.

A bridge too far?

We were promised that new street markings in the area of Kidderminster's Offmore Road railway bridge would be in place by the end of September. The 'outgoing' County contractors were to get the job done before they finished. It hasn't happened. We are now told that the 'incoming' new County contractors will complete the work by the end of Octobers.

County Officers are extremely apologetic about the delay. We just want to see the work completed. Any further delay would be totally unacceptable. Local residents deserve better.

Out of touch County Council would attract MORE match day parking to Chester Road South...

Everybody knows that match day parking by away fans on Chester Road South and adjacent residential roads is a complete and total nightmare. Everybody that is except the County Council!

They have come up with a bright idea to improve local sign posting for pedestrians and coaches heading to Aggborough. They aim at "reducing lost mileage for visitors and also increasing pedestrian traffic by highlighting where many of the alleys lead to in the Aggborough area". Most of their proposals are perfectly sensible or at least harmless - even though the refusal of the Highways Agency to play ball on the A449 and A456 leaves the plan rather holed below the waterline!

However the County want to put a sign on Chester Road South (between 116 and the garage) saying "Aggborough (via footbridge) 300 yards" and pointing accordingly. The locals know that the footbridge is there. All the sign would do is alert more visiting fans to the short cut thus potentially increasing match day parking on Chester Road South and neighbouring roads!

We have written to locals asking for their views by 19th October. If YOU want to comment then please get in touch.

Speaking to County Officers today I'm hopeful that they will listen if there is, as I suspect, strong opposition from local residents. However, that doesn't get round the point that if the County officers understood the area they simply wouldn't have come up with such am emminently unacceptable proposal!

by SARAH COUSIN

County's decision on catchment areas will not be made for months

PARENTS of children at the four closing Wyre Forest first schools who are due to start year five in September 2006, have until next month to tell education chiefs where they want them educated.

They can either move to another first school which will become a primary school, or - if there are enough - it is likely they will be able to carry on at their existing schools for the next two years prior to going to high school at the age of 11.

But a decision on the catchment areas for the new primary and secondary schools will not be made by the county council until next May or June after a period of consultation.

And it has not yet been decided whether the Church of England primary schools will feed the newly designated Wolverley CE High School or whether catchment areas will be purely geographical.

Liberal county councillor, Fran Oborski, warned parents to be careful when opting for primary education for their children moving into year five next September.

"You may have a situation where, for example, a parent opts to send their child from Lea Street to St George's CE Primary, thinking they will be in the pyramid for King Charles and then find the school is the feeder for Wolverley," said Mrs Oborski.

She added: "The issue of travel and accessibility could be a major one and this could have a major impact on some parents."

County policy officer for schools, Alison Cartwright, said parents of the current year four at the closing first schools - Lea Street, St Barnabas, Stone and Areley Common - had been asked to return forms by Friday, November 4 stating their preferences.

"We have said to all the schools going through the transition that if they keep the children into year five and six they will get the normal formula funding.

"If they feel they have particular difficulties in class organisation and staffing, then they can come back to us to discuss those difficulties and any additional funding requirements."

She added that the Worcester Diocesan Board of Education would be consulted on the catchment areas along with the schools, the communties and the parents, but she could not comment on the likely outcome. The county council cabinet will make the final decision.

That Hub again!

I've got accustomed to blocked phone lines. Now, just days after launching it we are told at the web site...

The Worcestershire Hub is currently unavailable

This may be because the site is busy or has been taken offline for maintenance

Please try again later

Yes, but don't they know which? If it is the latter can't they tell us when it is expected to come back. If it's the former why pretend it may be the latter? Come on, sort it out guys!

UPDATE 17.23

It's back on! Good!

It's National Poetry Day...

Liberals back Lib-Dem Candidate...

Kidderminster Liberals are backing the Liberal Democrat Candidate in the forthcoming Wyre Forest District Council’s Kidderminster’s Aggborough and Spennells Ward.

There are two separate Liberal  based groups on Wyre Forest District Council – the 8 strong Liberal Group and the 2 strong Liberal Democrats.

The Liberal Democrats are led by Charles Kennedy M.P.. The Liberals are those who did not accept the merger of the old Liberal and Social Democrat Parties.

This is the first time since their 1996 local split that the Liberals have endorsed a Liberal-Democrat Candidate.

Liberal Councillor Graham Ballinger who lives in the Aggborough-Spennells By-Election Ward  told us “this election is about electing the best possible Councillor for our area. That is why I am urging everyone to vote for the Liberal Democrat Candidate Sam Walker. She is hard working, effective, caring and she knows how to turn caring into action. Sam will be a superb Councillor. I’ll be voting for Sam and I hope you will!”

The Liberal Group Leader on Wyre Forest District  Council  Cllr Mike Oborski – who is himself on chemotherapy following major cancer surgery - will be out on the doorstep tomorrow . campaigning for Samantha Walker. 

Cllr Oborski explained “It is dead simple. Sam is the best Candidate. She is the right Candidate. I hope that everyone will vote for her.”

We try not to repeat postings but this still, change the names in the first 'bubble' as you like, hits the spot...

"Children's Villages Clothing Collection"...

Have you had a leaflet from them? We have. No Registered Charity Number and no contact details. I looked them up on Google and lo and behold stumbled straight onto this Press Release from Wolverhampton Trading Standards. Consider yourself now well and truly warned warned...

Trading standards issue bogus 'charity clothing' collection warning

Released: Wednesday, September 14th, 2005

Wolverhampton City Council’s Trading Standards Division is urging residents to donate their unwanted items to known registered charities. 

Trading Standards have received details of a bogus charity collection taking place in the City within the next few days.

Householders in Penn have received flyers through their doors from a company calling themselves ‘Children’s Villages Clothing Collection’.

The leaflet appeals for donations of ‘old and unwanted clothes’ and in particular asking for: ladies, gents and children’s clothing, shoes, handbags, belts, bath, hand towels, linen and curtains, mobile phones and soft toys.
     
The leaflet states ‘you can help people in third world countries, spared clothes will be carefully sorted and worn again’.

The flyers give the misleading impression that the items are being collected for charitable purposes; it does not give any address or contact details in relation to the collection.

The registered charity SOS Children’s Villages UK, which provides Children’s Villages for around 50,000 children in over 125 countries, has confirmed that the collection is NOT taking place on their behalf.

Captions welcome!

Sad touch of irony?

The front page of this week's Kidderminster Shuttle is headed "Theft means baby can't visit his dad in prison"! I don't wish anyone any ill but isn't there just a little tinge of the ironic about this story?!

Finding "the hub"!

The Express & Star today helpfully announces the launching by the County Council of a new web site for the "Worcestershire Hub" where you can find out all about everything to do with Council services.

Alas they direct their readers to www.worcestershire.whub.org.uk which won't get you anywhere. Our tip is simple - try www.whub.org.uk instead!

You'd think that the first perquisite for an information service would be to advertise its address correctly but this is the County Council we are talking about here!

UPDATE & CORRECTION 

(7th October)

The guys from the Couty Council Press Office tell me that their Press Release had it right. It was some Sub-Editor on the Express & Star what been and got it wrong! So...

 Apologies to the County Council Press Office and,

 

 

  a good kicking for the Express and Star then!