Frankwell, Porthill and Kingsland Newsletter January 2018

Julian Dean

Councillor Julian Dean

Julian is a Shropshire County Councillor and Shrewsbury Town Councillor for the Porthill Ward which includes the Porthill, Frankwell and Kingsland areas of Shrewsbury.

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Access improvements made at Pengrove

Pengrove access, before and after improvements

Good News: A dropped kerb and new bicycle gate have been put in place at Pengrove. This will allow mobility scooters and prams to get on to the riverside path.

Before: Access to the riverside path was very difficult for mobility scooters, bikes and pushchairs.

After: Access improvements include a dropped kerb for mobility scooters and pushchairs and a bicycle gate.

After a resident contacted me I arranged for these improvements to be made, with financial help from the Inclusively Fit Project as well as Shropshire Council. I will now be seeking funding to improve the whole path as it still has many hazards for mobility scooter users and those with pushchairs.

Icy pavements should have been cleared, says Julian

Icy pavements January 2018

Clearing the roads for traffic is important, but pedestrians have rights too. Pavements should have been cleared.

Many of you were rightly concerned that pavements were not safe during the recent icy and snowy weather. There were many accidents and injuries. Even the main footpaths and pavements around the town centre seemed to be ignored. I have demanded an explanation from the council. We need better service in the future.

Many businesses were affected by the icy pavements and saw a drop in their trade. I've asked for better advice and guidance for those businesses who are willing to clear areas near their premises, but are nervous about whether they should.

Council's decisions on New Street taking too long

I have been pressing for action to make New Street safer. There are now several possible ways this might happen, though it is still taking far too long for decisions to be made.

Copthorne Road... repairs needed

Pavement repairs on Copthorne Road are back in the plan for this year. I'll be chasing this. It's not fair to keep pedestrians waiting when millions are spent on roads and roundabouts.

Julian says...

Boy on a bicycle

"We need more money made available for looking after pedestrians and cyclists and more priority given to this by the Council."

Copthorne Barracks: Report from the resident's forum

Julian in front of Copthorne Barracks

In December I held an open meeting for Porthill residents about the proposed Barracks redevelopment. Thanks to everyone who came and shared their thoughts.

I will continue to campaign for a Barracks redevelopment that better serves the local community and doesn't just line the pockets of local developers and the MOD.

At the meeting I collected a list of your concerns and comments. I also asked for suggestions of possible uses for the keep: the keep is likely to be preserved and I hope the developers will consider turning it into a community space. Some of your suggestions for the keep include a local shop, a meeting space for local societies, a walk-in medical centre and office space for local start-ups.

I will continue to campaign for a more community-focussed development of the Barracks site and especially the keep.

Pub Quiz and Raffle

All welcome. Tuesday 6th February, 8PM, The Bucks Head, Frankwell.

Recommended minimum donation: £2 per person

All funds will go towards Green Party campaigns in Shrewsbury.

Who wants to buy a shopping centre?

Tory-led Shropshire Council have decided to buy up the remaining shopping centre in town. I can see good reason for the council to own this; it gives some democratic control over what happens there. But I am not convinced that the current council leaders have got this right, especially given the planned cuts in some vital services, so I voted against the scheme in Decemter. I've given a fuller explanation for my decision in a video on the Porthill Green Facebook page.