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Notes:
WYRE FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL
Annual report and review 2022/2023
Name of Member: Councillor Paul Harrison
Ward: Wribbenhall & Arley
Section 1: Attendance at Council, Committee and Sub-Committee meetings
Name of Committee No. of meetings held during the year No. of meetings attended
Council 5 5
Licensing & Environmental 1 1
Members Forum 3 3
Planning 8 8
The calendar of meetings is agreed at the beginning of each municipal year. Occasionally the need arises for additional meetings to be arranged at short notice which not all Members are able to attend due to previous commitments. The table shows only the meetings in the agreed municipal calendar: additional meetings are ignored.
This represents an overall attendance of 100%
Other attendance Number
Period of Extended Absence, (e.g. Maternity leave/Sick leave):
-
Number of meetings attended as a substitute:
1
Section 2: Mandatory Training Completed
Training Activity Date attended
Planning ** 16/08/2022
Emergency Planning & Business Continuity 28/02/2023
* Desirable for returning members as a refresher
** Required to sit on the Committee
Other training Number of modules completed
Core e-learning
0
Additional e-learning
0
Cyber security training
3
Section 3: Community Involvement
I attend meetings of Bewdley Town Council, part of which is in my Ward and of which I am a member. I also attend as many meetings of Kidderminster Foreign Parish Council and Upper Arley Parish Council as I can to keep up to date with current concerns in their areas of my Ward. Issues raised by the Parish Councils may be pursued with District Council officers.
The Management Committee of Bewdley Museum, of which I am a member, has resumed meeting this year, following the failure of Wyre Forest District Council's attempt (under its ‘Localism' agenda) to pass the Museum, Guildhall, and Queen Elizabeth II Gardens to a group of independent Trustees.
I supported Bewdley Town Council in taking on Riverside North Park (Wribbenhall's park), the public toilets, and the Borough House office because of Wyre Forest District Council's threat of closure under “Localism” and would support the Town Council in taking on the Queen Elizabeth II Gardens (Bewdley's park) from Wyre Forest District Council. I am concerned about the proposal for the Town Council to take on the Guildhall and Museum, without adequate financial support from Wyre Forest District Council, in view of the recent increases in the Bewdley Town Council Tax and the high cost of listed building maintenance, and staffing. Bewdley constitutes little more than 10% of the District's tax base, and it's the District's Museum, not just Bewdley's.
Part of the Ward, in Wribbenhall and Kidderminster Foreign, is subject to flooding by the River Severn in the winter. I am now hopeful that such flooding may soon become a thing of the past, as the Environment Agency's application to build flood defences has been approved by the Planning Committee and they will hopefully be installed in 2024. The Environment Agency had consulted with residents about the design of the barrier prior to the application being made.
Several editions of our ‘Wribbenhall and Arley Matters' leaflet have been distributed this year, keeping the Ward residents informed of the activities of myself and my Ward colleague Cllr John Byng.
Section 4: Assisting Constituents
As a Ward Councillor, my main activities have been aimed at providing a service to the residents of my Ward by keeping them informed about local issues and responding to their complaints and enquiries, which involves telephoned and e-mailed enquiries and visits to resident's homes.
I opposed the approval of the District Council's Local Plan, which has again been the single biggest issue raised by residents. The lack of adequate infrastructure to support the additional housing has been a recurring theme when the four sites in Wribbenhall and Arley Ward have come before the Planning Committee.
Section 5: Supplementary Information
I have supported the charity fundraising efforts undertaken by the Mayors of Bewdley, Stourport-on-Severn, and Kidderminster during this year, as well as those of the Chairman of Wyre Forest District Council.
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