Tanya Miles response - Tern walk the wards updates

Following our walk in Tern I have contacted teams for an update on the issues raised and wanted to provide you with the below update on each area. Apologies for the delay in providing the information.

1. Bin at Uffington - Parish Council would like a trial removal. Street Scene team will arrange for the removal of this bin and will programme the works and confirm timescale with you.

2. Withington – would like a bin installed. Street Scene has commented that if the waste bin from Uffington is used and the findings show that the bin needs to be put back, this would be difficult for the service to accommodate. Street Scene will therefore need to confirm financial and resource impact of providing a new bin and then provide further information.

3. Road repairs - residents want to understand the criteria of prioritisation on road repairs. Shropshire Council manages investment in roads using a data-led process which draws together intelligence on network condition, customer enquiries and reactive defects recorded on the link of carriageway. This intelligence is analysed to determine a priority programme of maintenance, which is validated by area teams. This structured process for decision making follows the current best practice approach called Asset Management, which is endorsed by the Department for Transport and linked to funding allocations. The Council's agreed Highways Asset Management Policy is publicly available on the Council's website - Asset management | Shropshire Council A list of schemes can be found here - Resurfacing and surface dressing | Shropshire Council

4. Pothole repairs - does the service check the quality of work. Yes, quality checks are made.  Supervisory staff from our contractors Multevo undertake routine audits on work quality.  Shropshire Council staff monitor quality of repairs both physically and via desktop audits. Images are taken before, during and after almost every reactive job undertaken by Multevo. Quality of defect repairs are discussed at our weekly liaison meetings with our contractors. Any issues with quality or longevity of repairs, remedial orders are raised and works undertaken without cost to Shropshire Council.

5. Road sweeping in Withington. Sweeping in Withington is 4x per year, however it only occurs on two roads (Sunnyfields and Woodlands Close). This is because there is no other kerbing in Withington.

6. Haughmond Hill TPO – timescale for adding double yellow lines along the road outside Haughmond Hill official car park. The Traffic Engineering team will need to progress statutory consultation for the associated TRO. Once concluded, detailed design work can be progressed and subsequently programmed for delivery with our contractor. Timescales therefore are still to be confirmed.

7. Signage in Uffington – can verge/hedges be cut deeper to ensure signage is visible. Street Scene needs confirmation of specific locations causing this concern and if they are Shropshire Council maintained hedges before we can determine if the request is achievable. I asked a member of the Street Scene team to contact you to understand the specific locations to move matters forward.

8. Corbet Arms – timescale for adding double yellow lines outside the Corbet Arms. Planning application 24/04016/FUL granted permission for the extension of The Corbet Arms Public house, attached to the planning permission granted was a planning condition that require the applicant prior to commencement to submit a scheme detailing a Traffic Regulation Order, and carry out the works prior to the extension being brought into use. At the request of Uffington Parish Council  there has been ongoing dialogue between Shropshire Council officer (Traffic Engineer - Dave Gradwell and myself) and representatives from the Parish Council in relation to the likely extent of the works. However, at this time we have not received a discharge of condition application from the Corbet Arms, I have written to the planning agent but not received a response. The Parish Council are keen to see a scheme implemented and therefore if the works at the Corbet Arms does not come forward they have requested Shropshire Council look to implement a scheme. This would however be subject to funding and formal consultation process. Regrettably, at this time we do not have a timescale for the delivery of double yellow lines either by the applicant or Highway Authority.

9. Rubbish in the River Severn. When it rains the rubbish flows down the river, what are we doing on this. I contacted the Environment Agency to understand their responsibilities to tackle litter and Suzanne Ward, Place Manager (Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands Combined Authority), Area Leadership Team, Local Operations – West Midlands replied: Thank you for your enquiry regarding litter and debris in the River Severn and for highlighting the concerns raised during your recent ward walk in the Tern ward. We appreciate that litter in and around rivers can be unsightly and concerning for local communities, particularly following periods of heavy rainfall when waste can be carried downstream and accumulate in locations some distance from where it originally entered the river. The Environment Agency has permissive powers to carry out works on designated Main Rivers where blockages pose a significant risk of flooding to people or property. When concerns are raised, our teams assess whether intervention is required to manage flood risk. As no blockage affecting river flow has been reported at this location, there is no flood risk that would require Environment Agency intervention. Responsibility for maintaining the watercourse and removing litter, debris and other obstructions rests with the riparian landowner. A riparian owner is anyone who owns land or property adjoining a watercourse, and their responsibilities include keeping the channel clear to allow water to flow freely. Further information on the rights and responsibilities of riparian owners can be found on GOV.UK: Owning a watercourse. I hope this helps clarify the Environment Agency's role. We understand the concerns raised by local residents and, while we are unable to intervene in this instance, we would encourage any identified riparian landowners to keep the watercourse clear where necessary.

10. Planning Committee training - what training do we provide members.

11. Withington village green – transfer of a small piece of land at Withington village green. Legal issue, timescale for sorting. Robyn is chasing up these updates with Legal, and we hope to be able to update you on these items in the next day or two. I hope this information is useful.

Best wishes Tanya Miles Chief Executive Shropshire Council Guildhall