Future Oswestry Masterplan Consultation

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Start Date:
9th February 2022

End Date:
24th March 2022

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

This consultation may be of interest to SDN member who live in Oswestry and its surround areas as well as visitors to the town.

Click here to find out more about Future Oswestry Masterplan and Vision is the outcome of collaborative work between Shropshire Council, Oswestry Town Council and the Oswestry Business Improvement District (BID).

In 2020, a team of consultants led by Allies and Morrisons started the process to prepare the masterplan document. This included:

  • a physical analysis of the town
  • research and review of socio-economic indicators, existing policies and strategies
  • a review of the property market
  • engagement with local residents and interested people and organisations through an online survey link, workshops, Library exhibition and market stalls.
  • refining the initial masterplan proposals in light of comments received through the engagement process.

This work and the comments received has shaped and modified the vision and objectives within the masterplan document being consulted on. Please visit the Future Oswestry Masterplan consultation for more details.

To read more about what the Oswestry Masterplan includes click this link:  https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/future-oswestry-masterplan-consultation/

To get involved click here https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/future-oswestry-masterplan-consultation/

and/or visit our Events pages where you will find details of 5 events in Oswestry where you can visit exhibitions on this project.

The consultation on the Future Oswestry Masterplan will run from Wednesday 9 February to Thursday 24 March 2022 to seek the views of residents, community groups, businesses and stakeholders on the Masterplan report. The aim of the masterplan is to support the long-term regeneration of the town centre and the wider town.

Acton Scott Historic Working Farm Survey 2022

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Start Date:
1st February 2022

End Date:
14th March 2022

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

Over the years, some SDN members have visited this historic working farm. It is costly to continue to operate this farm so Shropshire Council are consulting everyone to give you the opportunity to say whether it should be kept or not.

The History of Acton Scott Historic Working Farm.  The farm was the vision of Thomas Acton, who established the museum to demonstrate historic farming techniques. It has been operated by Shropshire Council as tenants of the Acton Scott Estate since the 1970s.

Over the past four decades Acton Scott Historic Working Farm has welcomed thousands of visitors from across Shropshire and further afield, and in more recent years gained international fame on television. Now is the time to explore a new future for the farm, a future that builds on its remarkable agricultural heritage and evolves to ensure that it is relevant and engaging to the next generation.

With the broadcast of the BBC’s ‘Victorian Farm’ television programme numbers peaked in 2009 at about 45,000. After an initial decline visitor numbers plateaued at about 20,000 per year.  Since then, the farm has operated with a deficit of £168k per annum, which has been subsidised by Shropshire Council.

Acton Scott Historic Working Farm is highly regarded by both Shropshire residents and visitors. Shropshire Council genuinely welcome the thoughts and suggestions of both the local community and supporters of the farm from across the county.

Why have this survey?

Regrettably, subsidising the site is no longer considered a financially sustainable option for Shropshire Council, particularly given the need for Shropshire Council to prioritise statutory services (a statutory service is one we’re required to deliver in national legislation such as social care) and publicly-owned venues. This may result in Shropshire Council no longer running Acton Scott Historic Farm.

Shropshire Council are working with the Acton Scott Estate to find an alternative operating model that provides a sustainable future for the farm and will act as facilitator in collating community feedback and proposals. These will be passed on to the Acton Scott Estate to consider as possible alternative uses for the site. To have your say, click on the ‘How to get involved’ tab on this page.

Below are documents that you may wish to read and consider before taking part in the survey.

How can you respond to this survey?

Click on this link to complete the survey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ASHWFsurvey

You can also respond to this consultation in writing:

  • Email: TellUs@shropshire.gov.uk
  • Post: Feedback and Insight Team, Shropshire Council, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shropshire SY2 6ND

If you’d like the survey questions in an alternative format, please email TellUs@shropshire.gov.uk and tell us of any support you need to allow you to respond.

Shropshire Plan engagement survey

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Start Date:
14th January 2022

End Date:
28th February 2022

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

This survey may be of interest and important to our members as it sets the vision and purpose of Shropshire Council and the priorities for Shropshire for the three years from 2022 to 2025

The Shropshire Plan sets out the vision and purpose of the council and the priorities for Shropshire for the three years from 2022 to 2025. The priorities will shape and direct the work of the council and how it will deploy its resources to achieve them.

This survey is being carried out to get feedback on the draft priorities and what you think the delivery of the priorities would mean for you. All feedback will be taken into account before the plan goes to council.

A survey has been provided as a way of collecting feedback. Click on the ‘How to get involved’ tab to access the survey.

Documents relating ti this survey:

How you can take part in this survey: 

Click this link that takes you to the survey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ShropPlan

Or

You can also respond to this engagement survey in writing:

  • Email: TellUs@shropshire.gov.uk
  • Post: Feedback and Insight Team, Shropshire Council, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shropshire SY2 6ND

If you’d like the survey in an alternative format, please email TellUs@shropshire.gov.uk describing the support you need to allow you to respond.

Oswestry -Church Street area experimental parking restrictions

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Start Date:
27th November 2021

End Date:
6th June 2022

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

This consultation may be of interest to SDN members who need to use disabled parking spaces-Church Street, Oswestry.

The experimental prohibition of waiting and loading restrictions, together with the provision of additional disabled parking and loading bays, will further trial a revised parking layout which is intended to enhance provision for disabled parking in Oswestry town centre. It will also provide improved dedicated loading facilities, whilst managing traffic and indiscriminate parking.

The above aims to provide improved safety for all road users, as well as an enhanced quality of life and environment for the local community, and will be applied on an experimental basis for up to 18 months.

One-way street restrictions and a 20mph speed limit are also proposed for this area, and are covered by separate traffic regulation orders.

For full details: On 25 November 2021 Shropshire Council made an experimental order to place the following parking restrictions on Church Street, Oswestry giving details to loading bays, waiting restrictions, disabled parking spaces: Click here: https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/oswestry-church-street-area-experimental-parking-restrictions/

Further information can be found in the deposited documents at Oswestry Library, Arthur Street, Oswestry, or you may request copies of them by:

  • Emailing traffic.engineering@shropshire.gov.uk
  • Writing to: Traffic Engineering Team, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6ND
  • Calling 0345 678 9006

If you wish to raise an objection, express support, or make any other comments about these experimental restrictions, please send us an email or letter by 6 June 2022 (contact details as above). You may also ring the above phone number for more information.

Please note that, for legal reasons, objections must be made in writing or by email, and should state the grounds on which the objection is made. Objections cannot be accepted over the phone.

Women urged to take part in health survey

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Start Date:
1st February 2022

End Date:
28th February 2022

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust are asking more women to take part in a health survey. So far they have received more than 2,000 responses to the system-wide survey, but they would like to get more women from the county and mid-Wales to respond.

Through a Press Release received by the Trust, we have been asked to share the following:

“The survey is the first of its kind in the county and mid-Wales and there is still time to have your say with the survey closing on Monday 28 February.

A Women’s Health Project Group made up of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System (ICS) and patient representatives across the county and mid-Wales set up the women’s health survey to try to find out the reasons why some women are not coming forward for screening and asking for help with the menopause.

Today (Monday 14 February) also sees the launch of the Help Us Help You – Cervical Screening Campaign which highlights the benefits of cervical screening and reminds people that it can help stop cancer before it starts.

The campaign, which has been launched by the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England and NHS Improvement, encourages those eligible for screening between the ages of 25 and 64 to respond to their cervical screening invitation letters and to book an appointment at their GP Practice if they missed their last one.

Two women die every day from cervical cancer in England. Yet it is one of the most preventable cancers and getting screened can help stop it before it starts. Screening checks for certain types of the HPV virus that can cause cell changes to your cervix. Cell changes are easily treated and this prevents cervical cancer.

Part of the women’s health survey looks at cancer screening services for women, as locally the number of women coming forward for breast and cervical screening services has been falling. The aim of the survey is to find out what local women know about screening, what they feel about taking part and what barriers they may face when they are invited to a screening appointment.

The second section of this survey looks at menopause as on average half of women aged 45-65 who have experienced the menopause in the past 10 years, have not consulted a healthcare professional about their menopausal symptoms. The group would like to know more about how much women living locally know about the menopause, how it affects them and their experience of healthcare and what can be done to improve this.

Dr Priya George, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group Clinical Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: “Thank you to all those women who have taken the time to complete this survey and I would encourage anyone who hasn’t had the chance yet to do so as soon as they can. This is a real chance for local women to let us know if there are any reasons they are not coming forward for cancer screening or for getting advice and support through menopause.

“We would like to find out more about your general awareness of the screening programme, and about menopause, and to understand any barriers that prevent you from being tested and getting expert advice and support when you need it. With this valuable information, we would like to further improve our women’s health services and make them more accessible to everyone.”

The link for the survey, which should take approximately 15 minutes to complete, is available here. All information provided for the survey will be anonymous.

Once the survey results are collated they will be analysed and shared with NHS providers and patient representatives to see how improvements can be made to services and encourage more women to have screening and seek help with the menopause.

For any more information on the survey or paper copies of the survey email sath.engagement@nhs.net or ring 01743 261000 ext 2390.

Also, if you would like to be involved in any future workshops around Women’s Health, please email sath.engagement@nhs.net .

For more information on cervical screening visit the NHS website www.nhs.uk/cervicalscreening

Shropshire Council Budget 2022/2023

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Start Date:
5th January 2022

End Date:
16th February 2022

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

Shropshire Council Budget Consultation is open to everyone to respond to. Shropshire Council spends over £554m every year delivering services to our local communities. They spend most of our budget on adults and children’s social care, protecting more vulnerable people in ever more complex and, by necessity, expensive ways. These are services that 97% of the population of Shropshire don’t access directly, yet they are growing in cost at a faster rate than any other areas.

Government funding for services has reduced year on year at the same time that costs are increasing. Income comes from council tax, but this can only go so far. Shropshire Council must set a balanced budget in law and so have little choice other than to raise income from other sources, cut our costs elsewhere, or both. This means asking our communities to pay more in council tax, more in fees and charges, and receive less in services as available funding is redirected to those vital areas most in need – adults and children’s social care.

Further cuts to existing budgets are becoming increasingly difficult. Read at this link further details https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/budget-consultation-20222023/

Shropshire Council is seeking your help in confirming that their budget plans are appropriate in terms of the council tax rises proposed and the headline savings suggested. To have your say, simply click here https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SCBudget2022-23

You can also respond to this engagement survey in writing:

  • Email: TellUs@shropshire.gov.uk
  • Post: Feedback and Insight Team, Shropshire Council, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shropshire SY2 6ND

If you’d like the survey in an alternative format, please email TellUs@shropshire.gov.uk and describe the support you need to allow you to respond.

The closing date for comments to be received by us is Wednesday 16 February 2022.

Your thoughts will be considered by full council when they discuss and agree on the final budget on Thursday 24 February 2022.

Oswestry -Church Street area experimental parking restrictions

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Start Date:
1st February 2022

End Date:
31st March 2022

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

This consultation may be of interest to SDN members who need to use disabled parking spaces-Church Street, Oswestry.

The experimental prohibition of waiting and loading restrictions, together with the provision of additional disabled parking and loading bays, will further trial a revised parking layout which is intended to enhance provision for disabled parking in Oswestry town centre. It will also provide improved dedicated loading facilities, whilst managing traffic and indiscriminate parking.

The above aims to provide improved safety for all road users, as well as an enhanced quality of life and environment for the local community, and will be applied on an experimental basis for up to 18 months.

One-way street restrictions and a 20mph speed limit are also proposed for this area, and are covered by separate traffic regulation orders.

For full details: On 25 November 2021 Shropshire Council made an experimental order to place the following parking restrictions on Church Street, Oswestry giving details to loading bays, waiting restrictions, disabled parking spaces: Click here: https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/oswestry-church-street-area-experimental-parking-restrictions/

Further information can be found in the deposited documents at Oswestry Library, Arthur Street, Oswestry, or you may request copies of them by:

  • Emailing traffic.engineering@shropshire.gov.uk
  • Writing to: Traffic Engineering Team, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6ND
  • Calling 0345 678 9006

If you wish to raise an objection, express support, or make any other comments about these experimental restrictions, please send us an email or letter by 6 June 2022 (contact details as above). You may also ring the above phone number for more information.

Please note that, for legal reasons, objections must be made in writing or by email, and should state the grounds on which the objection is made. Objections cannot be accepted over the phone.

Oswestry -Church Street area experimental parking restrictions

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Start Date:
1st January 2022

End Date:
30th April 2022

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

This consultation may be of interest to SDN members who need to use disabled parking spaces-Church Street, Oswestry.

The experimental prohibition of waiting and loading restrictions, together with the provision of additional disabled parking and loading bays, will further trial a revised parking layout which is intended to enhance provision for disabled parking in Oswestry town centre. It will also provide improved dedicated loading facilities, whilst managing traffic and indiscriminate parking.

The above aims to provide improved safety for all road users, as well as an enhanced quality of life and environment for the local community, and will be applied on an experimental basis for up to 18 months.

One-way street restrictions and a 20mph speed limit are also proposed for this area, and are covered by separate traffic regulation orders.

For full details: On 25 November 2021 Shropshire Council made an experimental order to place the following parking restrictions on Church Street, Oswestry giving details to loading bays, waiting restrictions, disabled parking spaces: Click here: https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/oswestry-church-street-area-experimental-parking-restrictions/

Further information can be found in the deposited documents at Oswestry Library, Arthur Street, Oswestry, or you may request copies of them by:

  • Emailing traffic.engineering@shropshire.gov.uk
  • Writing to: Traffic Engineering Team, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6ND
  • Calling 0345 678 9006

If you wish to raise an objection, express support, or make any other comments about these experimental restrictions, please send us an email or letter by 6 June 2022 (contact details as above). You may also ring the above phone number for more information.

Please note that, for legal reasons, objections must be made in writing or by email, and should state the grounds on which the objection is made. Objections cannot be accepted over the phone.

Oswestry -Church Street area experimental parking restrictions

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Start Date:
1st December 2021

End Date:
31st May 2022

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

This consultation may be of interest to SDN members who need to use disabled parking spaces-Church Street, Oswestry.

The experimental prohibition of waiting and loading restrictions, together with the provision of additional disabled parking and loading bays, will further trial a revised parking layout which is intended to enhance provision for disabled parking in Oswestry town centre. It will also provide improved dedicated loading facilities, whilst managing traffic and indiscriminate parking.

The above aims to provide improved safety for all road users, as well as an enhanced quality of life and environment for the local community, and will be applied on an experimental basis for up to 18 months.

One-way street restrictions and a 20mph speed limit are also proposed for this area, and are covered by separate traffic regulation orders.

For full details: On 25 November 2021 Shropshire Council made an experimental order to place the following parking restrictions on Church Street, Oswestry giving details to loading bays, waiting restrictions, disabled parking spaces: Click here: https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/oswestry-church-street-area-experimental-parking-restrictions/

Further information can be found in the deposited documents at Oswestry Library, Arthur Street, Oswestry, or you may request copies of them by:

  • Emailing traffic.engineering@shropshire.gov.uk
  • Writing to: Traffic Engineering Team, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6ND
  • Calling 0345 678 9006

If you wish to raise an objection, express support, or make any other comments about these experimental restrictions, please send us an email or letter by 6 June 2022 (contact details as above). You may also ring the above phone number for more information.

Please note that, for legal reasons, objections must be made in writing or by email, and should state the grounds on which the objection is made. Objections cannot be accepted over the phone.

Changes to giving free prescriptions to people aged 60 and over

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Start Date:
1st August 2021

End Date:
31st August 2021

Start Time:
0001

End Time:
2359

The government is consulting on aligning the upper age exemption for NHS prescription charges with the State Pension age (SPA). In 2019, around £600 million was generated in revenue from prescription charges for frontline NHS services. Currently, people receive free prescriptions when they turn 60 in England, whereas the SPA is now 66.

The consultation is seeking views from the public and healthcare professionals on options for change including building in a period of protection so those aged between 60 to 65 can continue to benefit from free prescriptions if the upper age exemption rises.

History: Prescription charges were first introduced in 1952. They were abolished in 1965 but then reintroduced, with exemptions, in 1968 because of budgetary pressures. In 2019 approximately £600 million was generated in revenue from prescription charges which supported direct delivery of NHS services.

The Facts: In England out of 1.1 billion items dispensed in 2018, almost 90% of prescription items dispensed in the community in England were free of charge. Almost 63% of all items were dispensed free of charge because the patient was aged 60 or over. The prescription charge exemptions cover 3 broad categories:

  • those of a certain age, that is those:
    • under 16
    • aged 16 to 18 in full time education
    • aged 60 and over
  • those on low income, that is via certain Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits and tax credits (which will largely be replaced by Universal Credit) and the NHS Low Income Scheme
  • those with certain medical conditions and expectant or new mothers

There have been very few changes to the exemption arrangements introduced in 1968. The only change to the list of exempt medical conditions was the addition of cancer in April 2009.

Options for change

Changing the upper age exemption for prescription items would require amendment being made to the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2015 (the ‘Charges Regulations’). These regulations set out the applicable charges for prescriptions and some appliances and the various criteria for exemption from these charges that currently apply.

There are 2 options for change including the option to retain a period of protection for those already in the age range 60 to 65 (those who currently benefit from an age exemption).

Option A

Option A is to raise the qualifying age for free prescriptions to the SPA (currently 66) for everyone. This would mean that following changes to the Charges Regulations people aged 65 and under would have to pay for their prescriptions until they reach the age of 66, unless they qualified for another exemption.

Option B

Option B is to raise the qualifying age for free prescriptions to the SPA (currently 66) but with a period of protection, which would mean that people in the age range 60 to 65 would continue to receive free prescriptions. This would mean that anyone aged 60 and over when the changes to the Charges Regulations are implemented would continue to be exempt from prescription charges, whereas those aged 59 and under when the changes to the Charges Regulations are implemented would have to pay for their prescriptions until they reach the SPA (currently 66), unless they qualified for another exemption.

The above options would have varying impacts for people who need NHS prescriptions, and could raise additional revenue for the NHS. Option A would increase NHS revenue more quickly and by a larger amount than option B, but retaining a period of protection for those currently in the age group 60 to 65 (option B) could ensure that people have advance notice of a change and would not have to restart paying for prescriptions that they currently get free. Option A could lead to confusion about the rules, with some people potentially continuing to claim an age exemption and attracting penalty notices and penalty charges as a result and others potentially being deterred from collecting prescriptions by the unexpected cost. Option B, which would preserve entitlement for those in the 60 to 65 age group, would allow the Department for Health and Social Care (the department) to monitor any adverse impacts of a policy change.

Consultation questions (Below we show the questions in the consultation)

To enable the Government to take into account your views on these proposals, please answer the following questions which can be found in the online questionnaire that accompanies this consultation.

Question 1

Should the upper age exemption to prescription charges be aligned to the State Pension age?

  • Strongly agree
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly disagree
  • Don’t know

Question 2

If the prescription charge exemption age is raised to State Pension age should people in the age groups 60 to 65 at the date of change retain their existing exemption?

  • Strongly agree
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • Strongly disagree
  • Don’t know

Question 3

Do you think there will be any unintended consequences that a raise in the upper age exemption could have on people, pharmacies or other organisations?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Don’t know

If yes, please specify.

Question 4

Do you think that aligning the upper age exemption with State Pension age could have a differential impact on particular groups of people or communities?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Don’t know

If yes, please specify.

Question 5

Do you think that aligning the upper age exemption with State Pension age could adversely impact people from deprived backgrounds or between disadvantaged geographical areas?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Don’t know

If yes, please specify.

This consultation is open for a period of 8 weeks and we welcome responses from members of the public, prescribers, pharmacists and other interested parties.

Responding to the consultation

This consultation is open for a period of 9 weeks.

The preferred method of receiving your response is via the online consultation questionnaire.

If you have any queries on this consultation or require an alternative format please email ageconsultation@dhsc.gov.uk.

Please submit your responses to the questions by 11:45pm on Thursday 2 September 2021.

If you do not have internet or email access, then please write to:

Prescribing Policy and Charges Team,
Department of Health and Social Care,
Floor 2, Area G, Quarry House,
Quarry Hill,
Leeds LS2 7UE

If you wish to do so, you can request that your name and organisation be kept confidential and excluded from the published summary of responses.

Click this link for the consultation and further information: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/aligning-the-upper-age-for-nhs-prescription-charge-exemptions-with-the-state-pension-age/aligning-the-upper-age-for-nhs-prescription-charge-exemptions-with-the-state-pension-age