Parish Council December news

Message from Lydia Bardsley, Ruyton XI Towns Parish Clerk.

Ruyton XI Towns Parish Council December update   Photo by A. Lister Welcome to the last newsletter of 2022. We've tried to keep this one a bit briefer than the November update, but there are some key things to be aware of, including protecting your valuables from would-be thieves, an important change to the community defibrillator scheme, a reminder to complete the Warm Hubs Survey, and info on the current Shropshire Electoral Division consultation (ends 30.01.2022) Hopefully you find these newsletters informative, so please do pass them on to friends or family in the parish who are not already subscribed. If there's something you'd like us to include in these newsletters in the future, we'd love to hear from you. Thefts in the area – protect your home and valuables Unfortunately we've been made aware of some recent thefts from a shed and a garage in the local area. We very much hope the stolen items can be recovered, but in the meantime, this is a reminder that the Parish Council provided free SmartWater kits to all households in the parish area to help protect valuables. Our news post from 2 years ago explains how SmartWater works acts as a deterrent to criminals, and how it helps recover stolen items, so if you have not yet used your free kit, we would urge you to get it out and mark up your valuables and put up the stickers included on windows to deter thieves. If you moved into the parish in the last 2 years and did not get a free SmartWater kit, please do get in touch as we have a small number of free kits left in stock.   Bike Marking kits Over the last week West Mercia Police have held bike marking events at police stations across Shropshire and over 50 bikes have been marked with Smartwater kits obtained from funding from the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner.  If you were unable to attend any of the events and would like a kit to mark your bikes the police still have a small supply left. If you would like a kit, please contact graham.donaldson@westmercia.police.co.uk with the following details: Full name (you need to be over 18 to be issued with a kit) Address inc. postcode Email address Phone number  and if possible some details of your bike, i.e. make, model and serial number if available.

Parish Council Casual Vacancy reminder – Deadline 9pm Friday 23rd Dec Do you have, or could you make a bit of regular time to help our Parish Council? We meet once a month to discuss what's happening, what we can do, then go and do what we can. We currently have one vacant seat on the Council, and you could help make a real and positive difference in our community by joining us. The deadline for applications is 9pm on Friday 23rd Dec.   There is something for everyone, and the more team members we have, the more we can do to make our parish better for everyone.    Check out our latest news post for more info on how to apply. Warm Hubs Survey Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash   We have been delivering paper surveys to every household in the parish, so if you haven't already done so, please either fill in the Warm Hubs Survey online, or drop completed paper surveys off at Café XI, or call us on 01691 674742 to arrange collection. Thank you very much to those of you who have already responded to the survey through our website, this is will give us a valuable picture of what support is needed, and we already have several offers to volunteer which is absolutely fantastic. It is always such a pleasure to see how this community is willing to step up and help their fellow parishioners in times of need.   A special thank you also to David Spicer, Alyson Lister, Scott & Rachel Denyer, Trevor Allison, and Tamarin Bibow, who have been braving the cold to hand deliver the paper surveys to every household in the parish, and of course to everyone else involved in the Cost of Living meetings. CIL Road Safety Improvements Project The consultation for this project will be taking place in the New Year. We are next meeting with the CIL Project Group on Tues 17th Jan, and will hopefully be able to firm up a consultation start date at that time. Provisional Parish Council Budget for 2023-24 Photo by StellrWeb on Unsplash At the last meeting on 7th December, the Parish Council considered a draft budget and precept for 2023-24. Given rising costs, a payments budget of £33,090 was provisionally agreed, plus £550 to be allocated to Earmarked Reserves. Taking into account forecasted income from VAT refunds and bank interest we have set a provisional precept of £31,920 for 2023-24, which is a 3.8% increase on the 2022-23 precept. Please note this is all still provisional because we have only just received (on 15.12.2022) the info from Shropshire Council needed to calculate the impact on Council tax. We will take this information into consideration before we finalise the budget and precept at the January Council meeting, so there may be one or two final tweaks before we submit the precept request to Shropshire Council. Important update on community defibrillator (AED) After discussion with St John the Baptist Primary School, the community defibrillator (AED) at the primary school is now being managed under a 'Help yourself' system. This means there will no longer be a volunteer call-out system. If someone collapses and is not breathing, call 999 immediately and follow the call handler's instructions. They will explain how to access the AED if it is needed. The AED gives text and audio prompts, so can be used by anyone with no need for prior training.   Even though training is not needed, we understand it may be a bit daunting using an AED the first time, so to help raise awareness and help people feel more prepared, we are looking into organising some community CPR and AED training. Please email the Parish Council Clerk to register your interest. Shropshire Electoral Division Review: First Consultation ends 30.01.2023 The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (BCE) is currently reviewing Shropshire's Electoral Divisions, and the first public consultation will end on 30th Jan 2023. Ruyton XI Towns parish is within the Electoral Division of Ruyton & Baschurch (which also encompasses Hordley and Weston Lullingfields). The Electoral Division review ONLY looks at: No. of Shropshire councillors (proposal is 74, same as before) No. of Electoral Divisions Boundaries between Electoral Divisions Names of Electoral Divisions No of Shropshire Cllrs elected to each Electoral Division The 3 legal criteria which will form the basis of the BCE's recommendations are: Elector equality (no. of electors per Shropshire Cllr) Community identities and interests Effective and convenient local government The BCE are very keen to hear from as many people as possible so please do take a look at the Shropshire interactive map, and the Shropshire BCE Review webpage (scroll down to Latest information, and Initial Consultation for more info), and share your views with the BCE before 30.01.2023. Please also share your thoughts with the Council if you would like us to take them into consideration at the January meeting. There will be a second consultation in Spring 2023 on the draft proposals, so there will be at least one more opportunity to have your say.  NB. At a recent briefing (15.12.2022) the BCE emphasised that they have no power to abolish, merge, or create Parish Councils, nor can they change Parish Council boundaries. There will only be an impact on Parish Councils if changing an Electoral Division boundary results in a Parish being divided, in which case those areas divided by the new Electoral Division boundary become wards of that Parish Council.  Seasons Greetings As we look back on 2022, it has been another challenging year in the UK, and the devastating war in Ukraine is never far from our thoughts. But it is so heartening to see how you as a community have banded together to help fundraise, donate clothing and other essentials, and give a warm Ruyton welcome to those who have sought safety here in Shropshire. Thank you so much for your continued support for the Parish Council and for each other over the last 12 months. We would like to wish a very Happy Christmas to all who celebrate (and a peaceful and enjoyable break for those who don't), and to each and every one of you, a healthy and prosperous 2023.