MINUTES OF RICHARDS CASTLE (SHROPSHIRE) PARISH COUNCIL EXTRAORDINARY MEETING HELD AT 7.00 PM ON TUESDAY 25 AUGUST 2026 AT THE VILLAGE HALL
PRESENT: Cllr. H Salwey (Chairman); Cllr. V Hawkins (Vice Chairman); Cllr. D Ayres; Cllr. A Cowell; Cllr. A Hall; and Cllr. E A Wright.
IN ATTENDANCE: R Hewitt, Clerk. Sixteen (16) members of the public were present.
26/31 Apologies – Cllr. R Smith.
26/32 Declarations of Members Interests and requests for Dispensation – None.
26/33 Ward Councillor Report
Ward Cllr. V Parry’s apologies were noted.
26/34 To invite views and discussion from members of the parish
Members of the public expressed grave concern at the lack of a 30mph section in the proposed changes to the speed limit on the B4361 from the county boundary to Wheatcommon Lane. Several members of the public expressed the view that the whole length of the proposed 40mph zone should be 30mph instead, and the pavement footway extended to the church.
26/35 Consultation on proposed changes to the speed limit on the B4361
The parish council considered the preliminary consultation by the highway authority. A reduction in the speed limit is supported, however the parish council resolved to request strongly that the proposed Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) is implemented as previously agreed with the highway authority.
At a site meeting held in early 2023 it the parish council and highway authority agreed to implement an initial 30 mph zone which would include the village hall and link up with the existing 30 mph which is in place already on the Herefordshire side of the county boundary. The reasons for doing so were (and are) to safeguard vehicles using and passing the village hall where there is a car park with open access to the B4361 along the entire length of the car park, and to take account of a new housing development on the county boundary which accesses the B4361 directly.
It was agreed to highlight that best practice is not to have a change of speed limit at the bottom of a hill/ sharp dip, and that extending the speed limit from Herefordshire into Shropshire as outlined above would address this.
26/36 Planning
Appeal 6012818 Re: 25/04333/FUL Proposed Dwelling And Annexe North Of, Station Road, Woofferton. Erection of 1 self build dwelling house and Annex with garage. It was agreed to strongly reiterate support for the proposed dwelling and annexe provided the materials used are in keeping with the general character of the rural area, and that the annexe is ancillary to the dwelling.
26/02759/FUL and 26/02760/LBC 17 Overton, Ludlow, SY8 4DY – 2No.external air-to-air heat pump units. The planning application and application for listed building consent were supported.
26/37 Highway Items/ Amenity Items/ Footpath Items
The following matters were raised: brambles on the pavement opposite the village hall; and a defective stile. It was felt that the brambles will be cut back as part of the imminent hedge cutting season. The landowner responsible for the stile is aware of the defect.
26/38 Police and Crime Commissioner’s Annual Survey – Noted.
26/39 Matters raised for next meeting (no discussion)
There were no matters raised.
26/40 Next Meeting – The next scheduled meeting will be at 7.30pm on Tuesday 22 September 2026.
The meeting closed at 7.50 pm.
MINUTES OF RICHARDS CASTLE (SHROPSHIRE) PARISH COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT 7.30 PM ON TUESDAY 14 JULY 2026 AT THE VILLAGE HALL
PRESENT: Cllr. H Salwey (Chairman); Cllr. V Hawkins (Vice Chairman); Cllr. D Ayres; Cllr. A Cowell; Cllr. A Hall; and Cllr. E A Wright.
IN ATTENDANCE: Ward Cllr. V Parry; and R Hewitt, Clerk. Two (2) members of the public were present.
26/17 Apologies – Cllr. R Smith.
26/18 Declarations of Members Interests and requests for Dispensation – None.
26/19 To approve the Minutes of the previous Meeting(s)
The minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 19 May 2026 were approved as a correct record.
26/20 Ward Councillor Report
Ward Cllr. V Parry’s brief verbal report was noted, including an anonymous letter concerning recent planning applications that has been passed on to planning services. The Traffic Regulation Order planned for the B4361 from the county boundary should be implemented next year. Double yellow lines are likely to be the way forward to address parked cars on Overton Road towards the A49. An update was noted on financial support for Ludlow Library.
Cllrs. A Cowell and A Hall asked about the use of temporary traffic lights on the A49 which are adversely impacting Park Lane.
26/21 To invite views and discussion from members of the parish
Two members of the public spoke in support of Appeal 6012047 Re: 26/00156/OUT Proposed Dwelling South Of Overton Grange Farm.
26/22 Report from Representatives who have attended meetings of other Organisations on behalf of the Parish Council – There were no reports.
26/23 Planning
Appeal 6012047 Re: 26/00156/OUT Proposed Dwelling South Of Overton Grange Farm, Richards Castle – Outline application (all matters reserved) for the erection of one self-build dwelling. It was agreed to submit a comment in support of the planning application as the parish council, which usually meets every two months did not have the opportunity to comment on the planning application before it was decided by the planning authority. The parish council agreed to highlight the following in respect of points #2 and #3 in the planning authority’s decision notice:
The proposed plot is located next to a designated public right of way (0553/6/3) so pedestrian access (as well as vehicular) is available immediately from the property. This leads directly to the pedestrian footpath or pavement on the nearby B4361 which directly connects to the nearby Mortimer Forest and if turning right the pavement goes all the way to Ludlow without interruption. Should someone prefer to travel by bus, the 490 bus service is available for trips to the nearby market towns of Ludlow and Leominster, both of which have extensive amenities including railway stations. The 490 bus can be flagged down on request provided it is done in a safe, visible location, so can be readily accessed – there is a straight section of the B4361 to the right of the access track leading down the hill towards Ludlow.
So, in summary, pedestrian access to leisure amenities is available from the doorstep. Other amenities can be accessed by the 490-bus service, which is one of the most frequent rural bus services in the area.
26/24 Financial items
a) Receipts: Shropshire Council, environmental maintenance grant 2026-27 – £500.00. Noted.
b) The following payments were approved: Yatton Farm Services Ltd., weed treatment (£480.00); Clerk, wages July-September 2026; HMRC, PAYE to 5 October 2026 (£190.80); and Clerk, antivirus subscription for PC laptop 2026-27 (£52.61). It was agreed to transfer £6,500.00 to the parish council’s new treasury account.
26/25 Highway Items/ Amenity Items/ Footpath Items
a) Consultation on Ludlow – Overton Road – waiting restrictions: It was agreed to object to the proposal due to the potential knock-on effect on the nearby junction at Policeman’s corner which has a long history of visibility issues and significant accident record. It is felt that double yellow lines will encourage traffic to travel at higher speeds along the road between Ludlow and the A49. Also, the parish council is concerned at the adverse visual impact of double yellow lanes in a rural setting, which will likely change the character of the area.
b) Environmental maintenance work 2026-27: The application for a grant of £500.00 from Shropshire Council has been successful. Weed treatment was completed in May 2026.
c) Highway / Amenity and Footpath items: A defective footpath report concerning 0553/21 has been passed to Shropshire Council. Footpaths at Mortimer Forest are the responsibility of the Forestry Commission.
26/26 Partnership working with Shropshire Council
a) Ludlow Library: A request from Shropshire Council for financial support to maintain opening hours at the library was considered. The parish council noted the number of library members in the parish and resolved to provide £200.00 in 2026-27.
b) Review Road Warden Scheme: It was felt the scheme is not suited to a rural area.
c) Street Scene Projects: An invitation from Shropshire Council to look at potential Streetscene projects and/ or other service areas of potential interest to the parish council was noted.
26/27 Shropshire Local Plan – Scoping Consultation
The Scoping Consultation for the new Local Plan was noted. The parish looks set to continue being designated as open countryside.
26/28 Clerk’s Report
Shropshire Council is developing an updated Local Transport Plan (LTP) and a workshop is scheduled to introduce the emerging plan. The external auditor has confirmed receipt of documents and logged the notification of exempt status for 2025-26. The annual return is available on the parish council website. The donation to Working Together (Ludlow) has been acknowledged with thanks by the charity. Eligibility for the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has been registered with the parish council’s bank. Re-enrolment and re-declaration to the Pensions Regulator is due to be completed by 1 December 2026. Shropshire Council have advised that member addresses have been removed from the member declarations of interest held by the county council.
26/29 Matters raised for next meeting (no discussion)
There were no matters raised.
26/30 Next Meeting – The next scheduled meeting will be at 7.30pm on Tuesday 22 September 2026.
The meeting closed at 8.36 pm.