9th March 2012
As we approach the 12 month anniversary of our first request for a bike track to be sited in Wem we thought we would summarise our findings to date.
We have been busy gathering information from many different sources since the last working party meeting.
Below is what we have found out and what we think, with reasons given for our opinions.
5 A-Side Court at Butler Sports Centre
Many of you have told us that squeezing a track into such a small space would give rise to a track that 'would not flow'. We here this and after taking further advice from professional track builders agree. The area proposed is not an ideal size and would lead to a second rate track. As we don't live in a second rate town then we don't see why we should accept second rate facilities. We had many negative comments about the location because of access issues, safety issues and ease of use/proximity to existing facilities for children and teenagers.
Other questions we encountered:
Why do you want to dig up a perfectly good facility?
Why isn't it in use as a hard court pitch already?
What happened to the REC?
It isn't very convenient is it?
Thomas Adams School
The school site is no longer viable due to the prohibitive cost of fencing (ca £40 000). The location brings the same responses that we received about the 5-A-Side pitch in terms of ease of access and location in respect to other recreational facilities for children and teenagers.
The school site is no longer worthy of any further discussion, time or money.
Land Off Orchard Way and The Grove
These sites were investigated by RoSPA and found to be unsuitable.
We were asked by the Sports Association at the last Working Party meeting to reconsider them.
Following site visits to each we did not see any way that we could counter the findings of the experts. There are too many hazards and therefore risks to make either of these a viable site. We agree with RoSPA.
On top of this we have concerns with the isolated nature of these sites, particularly when compared to other viable options. This opinion was echoed by many parents that we have spoken to:
"The chosen site has to be safe for our children"
The Recreation Ground
We consider that the REC still provides the best all round location. It is central, has the space required for a small track, compliments existing facilities and has the support of many people. It is a safe environment too.
RoSPA noted that the area opposite the skate facility would be considered suitable for development and would provide a natural progression of existing facilities.
The area identified by RoSPA was also mentioned by a number of residents in August 2011 when the initial public consultation took place.
A track placed in this location would be safe, convenient and easily maintained. RoSPA have indicated that fencing between the sides of the track that flanked the footpath/cycleway would be needed. It should be noted that this would not attract the same cost as fencing at the Thomas Adams site as this would be of a different fabrication and therefore much cheaper than that required by the school.
The area around the Lime tree on the recreation ground appears to be unsuitable for a number of reasons and is no longer under consideration.
Of course some people don't want it on the REC for a variety of reasons, but this would be the case wherever you plan to site anything, someone will always object!
Next Steps
It has been 30 years since the first published call for a bike track in Wem. This makes the last 12 months look like a very short period of time indeed. It's all relative though isn't it!
We need to figure out the size of track that could be reasonably placed on the REC so as not to interfere with the small number of events that take place on the REC each year.
We will publish our findings here, so watch this space.
As ever if you have any ideas regarding the size, layout, shape and so on for the track then please contact us with the details.
We have been busy gathering information from many different sources since the last working party meeting.
Below is what we have found out and what we think, with reasons given for our opinions.
5 A-Side Court at Butler Sports Centre
Many of you have told us that squeezing a track into such a small space would give rise to a track that 'would not flow'. We here this and after taking further advice from professional track builders agree. The area proposed is not an ideal size and would lead to a second rate track. As we don't live in a second rate town then we don't see why we should accept second rate facilities. We had many negative comments about the location because of access issues, safety issues and ease of use/proximity to existing facilities for children and teenagers.
Other questions we encountered:
Why do you want to dig up a perfectly good facility?
Why isn't it in use as a hard court pitch already?
What happened to the REC?
It isn't very convenient is it?
Thomas Adams School
The school site is no longer viable due to the prohibitive cost of fencing (ca £40 000). The location brings the same responses that we received about the 5-A-Side pitch in terms of ease of access and location in respect to other recreational facilities for children and teenagers.
The school site is no longer worthy of any further discussion, time or money.
Land Off Orchard Way and The Grove
These sites were investigated by RoSPA and found to be unsuitable.
We were asked by the Sports Association at the last Working Party meeting to reconsider them.
Following site visits to each we did not see any way that we could counter the findings of the experts. There are too many hazards and therefore risks to make either of these a viable site. We agree with RoSPA.
On top of this we have concerns with the isolated nature of these sites, particularly when compared to other viable options. This opinion was echoed by many parents that we have spoken to:
"The chosen site has to be safe for our children"
The Recreation Ground
We consider that the REC still provides the best all round location. It is central, has the space required for a small track, compliments existing facilities and has the support of many people. It is a safe environment too.
RoSPA noted that the area opposite the skate facility would be considered suitable for development and would provide a natural progression of existing facilities.
The area identified by RoSPA was also mentioned by a number of residents in August 2011 when the initial public consultation took place.
A track placed in this location would be safe, convenient and easily maintained. RoSPA have indicated that fencing between the sides of the track that flanked the footpath/cycleway would be needed. It should be noted that this would not attract the same cost as fencing at the Thomas Adams site as this would be of a different fabrication and therefore much cheaper than that required by the school.
The area around the Lime tree on the recreation ground appears to be unsuitable for a number of reasons and is no longer under consideration.
Of course some people don't want it on the REC for a variety of reasons, but this would be the case wherever you plan to site anything, someone will always object!
Next Steps
It has been 30 years since the first published call for a bike track in Wem. This makes the last 12 months look like a very short period of time indeed. It's all relative though isn't it!
We need to figure out the size of track that could be reasonably placed on the REC so as not to interfere with the small number of events that take place on the REC each year.
We will publish our findings here, so watch this space.
As ever if you have any ideas regarding the size, layout, shape and so on for the track then please contact us with the details.
07th March 2012
Just seen this bike track click and have a look. I am sure that if a village with one shop and a pub can get a £10,000 track in a good location then we in Wem could have one too.
Come on Wem Town Council. Please make it happen.
Just seen this bike track click and have a look. I am sure that if a village with one shop and a pub can get a £10,000 track in a good location then we in Wem could have one too.
Come on Wem Town Council. Please make it happen.
04th March 2012
It's almost a year since we started trying to get a bike track in Wem and although we have moved forward we haven't moved very far. We have had many offers of help to build the track, but we still have no suitable site to locate the track.
This website is still getting a good amount of traffic, this tells us that there is a lot of interest and you all still want a track.
We have to convince the Town Council that it should happen.
Stick with us as we will keep trying , it's just turning into a long process.
I will ask again if you could write to the Town Council and ask them what they are doing to make it happen.
Please send your email/letters to:
The Town Clerk
Wem Town Council
Edinburgh House
New Street
Wem
SY4 5DB
info@wem.gov.uk
Thanks All
It's almost a year since we started trying to get a bike track in Wem and although we have moved forward we haven't moved very far. We have had many offers of help to build the track, but we still have no suitable site to locate the track.
This website is still getting a good amount of traffic, this tells us that there is a lot of interest and you all still want a track.
We have to convince the Town Council that it should happen.
Stick with us as we will keep trying , it's just turning into a long process.
I will ask again if you could write to the Town Council and ask them what they are doing to make it happen.
Please send your email/letters to:
The Town Clerk
Wem Town Council
Edinburgh House
New Street
Wem
SY4 5DB
info@wem.gov.uk
Thanks All
16th Feb 2012
Quick report from Working Party meeting last night.
Adams School have said they would think about siting the track on their grounds if they had some plans to look at to see what they were getting into and if it were fenced. The fence would be between the track and school and the estimated cost would be £40,000. In our minds, this puts an end to this site due to the high cost involved; that's a lot of money to spend on a fence before we even start work on the track. Other members of the working party thought it would be worth pursuing further.
Wem Sports Association then came up with using the redundant 5 a-side pitch at Butler Sports Centre. This is subject to approval by the full sports association commitee. This is a welcome development, but needs some serious thought. After a quick look last night after the meeting, we thought it might be more expensive to develop as the tarmac would have to come up, but not too bad size wise. Your thoughts would be welcome.
The Rec was then discussed. This is still our favourite site due to its central location, being next to all other play equipment, its being in an open area over looked by houses etc etc. The Sports Association and many Councillors are not keen on this area, so it will be very difficult to persuade them.
So please give us your thoughts on the above on our Facebook page or email us.
As always, we remain open minded and our aim, as ever, is to build the best family friendly bike track we can in Wem for the people of Wem and its visitors.
Quick report from Working Party meeting last night.
Adams School have said they would think about siting the track on their grounds if they had some plans to look at to see what they were getting into and if it were fenced. The fence would be between the track and school and the estimated cost would be £40,000. In our minds, this puts an end to this site due to the high cost involved; that's a lot of money to spend on a fence before we even start work on the track. Other members of the working party thought it would be worth pursuing further.
Wem Sports Association then came up with using the redundant 5 a-side pitch at Butler Sports Centre. This is subject to approval by the full sports association commitee. This is a welcome development, but needs some serious thought. After a quick look last night after the meeting, we thought it might be more expensive to develop as the tarmac would have to come up, but not too bad size wise. Your thoughts would be welcome.
The Rec was then discussed. This is still our favourite site due to its central location, being next to all other play equipment, its being in an open area over looked by houses etc etc. The Sports Association and many Councillors are not keen on this area, so it will be very difficult to persuade them.
So please give us your thoughts on the above on our Facebook page or email us.
As always, we remain open minded and our aim, as ever, is to build the best family friendly bike track we can in Wem for the people of Wem and its visitors.
10th Feb 2012
Just a quick THANK YOU to all, just had a look at the amount of hits we have had since the update yesterday .52 people had a look yesterday, this is really encouraging that we still have this amount of support after such a long time. We seem to be gaining more and more support as time goes by. Most people I speak to now are asking why is it not already been done.
Hopefully the Town Council will be voting soon on if and where it will be built. If they vote no then we will want some good answers as to why not. When we started last March they all voted in favour of a bike track. Please remember they are representing you and your views and what you would like to see done in your town.
Looking at the support we have, it seems you want a Bike Track in Wem .They should be helping to making it happen, not telling us why it can't. Also remember when we started in March last year we had an offer to build this track for FREE from a local business and also many more offers of help from other businesses and private individuals with making a track. So they can't tell us they have no money for this project.
If you see any councillors, please ask how the Bike Track is going and what they have done to make it happen.
We have also opened the Blog again for you to make any comments or ask questions. These will be approved before posting as we don't monitor the site constantly and don't want someone to put anything on that's offensive or abusive that may upset anyone . We will look most evenings to see if any comments need approval, and if so put them on the blog. So please Blog away.
Thanks
Wem Bike Track
Just a quick THANK YOU to all, just had a look at the amount of hits we have had since the update yesterday .52 people had a look yesterday, this is really encouraging that we still have this amount of support after such a long time. We seem to be gaining more and more support as time goes by. Most people I speak to now are asking why is it not already been done.
Hopefully the Town Council will be voting soon on if and where it will be built. If they vote no then we will want some good answers as to why not. When we started last March they all voted in favour of a bike track. Please remember they are representing you and your views and what you would like to see done in your town.
Looking at the support we have, it seems you want a Bike Track in Wem .They should be helping to making it happen, not telling us why it can't. Also remember when we started in March last year we had an offer to build this track for FREE from a local business and also many more offers of help from other businesses and private individuals with making a track. So they can't tell us they have no money for this project.
If you see any councillors, please ask how the Bike Track is going and what they have done to make it happen.
We have also opened the Blog again for you to make any comments or ask questions. These will be approved before posting as we don't monitor the site constantly and don't want someone to put anything on that's offensive or abusive that may upset anyone . We will look most evenings to see if any comments need approval, and if so put them on the blog. So please Blog away.
Thanks
Wem Bike Track
09 Feb 2012
A date for the next working party has been set for 15th Febuary 2012 at 7pm in the Committee room of Edinburgh House New Street Wem.
If you have any issues that you would like raised at the meeting please mail us here.
At this meeting we will be discussing the Rospa report and how we should procced forward with getting a track built in Wem.
A date for the next working party has been set for 15th Febuary 2012 at 7pm in the Committee room of Edinburgh House New Street Wem.
If you have any issues that you would like raised at the meeting please mail us here.
At this meeting we will be discussing the Rospa report and how we should procced forward with getting a track built in Wem.
18th January 2012.
ROSPA have done their visit. Hip Hip Hooray.
They came yesterday and estimate it will take a week to do the report. They will send a copy to the Town Council and hopefully we will get sight of it very soon after. The working party will meet to discuss the report and act upon its findings. We are hoping that the report will give us a clear idea of where the best place to site the track is and a few more top tips on making it the best track we can.
So please keep your fingers crossed for a good report !!!!!!
Hopefully we will have more good news soon , keep an eye on this website.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------
ROSPA have done their visit. Hip Hip Hooray.
They came yesterday and estimate it will take a week to do the report. They will send a copy to the Town Council and hopefully we will get sight of it very soon after. The working party will meet to discuss the report and act upon its findings. We are hoping that the report will give us a clear idea of where the best place to site the track is and a few more top tips on making it the best track we can.
So please keep your fingers crossed for a good report !!!!!!
Hopefully we will have more good news soon , keep an eye on this website.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------
6th January 2011
Hi everyone and Happy New Year from all at Wem Biketrack. We are hoping it will be a good one.
Sorry we have not done much on this site, but we have had no news to write about.
We do have a little good news to start the New Year off with, in that ROSPA are coming mid January to do their site visits.
They are going to look at all the sites and give the Town Council advice on which are the best ones. Hopefully by the end of this month we should have some news on what they think of the sites and we will report back as soon as we know anything - fingers crossed that we get a good result.
Bye for now.
Hi everyone and Happy New Year from all at Wem Biketrack. We are hoping it will be a good one.
Sorry we have not done much on this site, but we have had no news to write about.
We do have a little good news to start the New Year off with, in that ROSPA are coming mid January to do their site visits.
They are going to look at all the sites and give the Town Council advice on which are the best ones. Hopefully by the end of this month we should have some news on what they think of the sites and we will report back as soon as we know anything - fingers crossed that we get a good result.
Bye for now.
3rd December 2011
Hi All,
Things may seem to be a little slow at the moment but things are moving.
We didn't go to the last Town Council meeting as we felt we deserved time off for good behavior, so we had to wait to hear any news.
Now the minutes from the meeting are up on the Town Council website, to look click here. As you will see they have approved to get Rospa in to look at the proposed sites but no date is given, hopefully this will be soon.
It's such a shame that it takes so long to move forward as this was agreed at the working party in September.
The way the process works is that we, and other interested parties, have Bike track working party meetings and make decisions on the best way forward. These decisions then have to go to the Town Council for approval. They may have questions which then have to go back to the working party whose answers then go back to the Council . As the Town Council only meet once a month and the Bike Track working party even less, you can see why things take so long.
It looks like it might be a long haul. I suppose the cyclists of Wem have wanted a track of some description for at least 28 years and many people have tried in the past and failed. We hope this time will be different and all the people who have waited so long will eventually get a track.
We must ask again for your help to keep the track at the forefront of people's minds by continuing to express your support for a track and by asking your councillors how things are going. Don't let the naysayers be the only voices whose are heard.
Hi All,
Things may seem to be a little slow at the moment but things are moving.
We didn't go to the last Town Council meeting as we felt we deserved time off for good behavior, so we had to wait to hear any news.
Now the minutes from the meeting are up on the Town Council website, to look click here. As you will see they have approved to get Rospa in to look at the proposed sites but no date is given, hopefully this will be soon.
It's such a shame that it takes so long to move forward as this was agreed at the working party in September.
The way the process works is that we, and other interested parties, have Bike track working party meetings and make decisions on the best way forward. These decisions then have to go to the Town Council for approval. They may have questions which then have to go back to the working party whose answers then go back to the Council . As the Town Council only meet once a month and the Bike Track working party even less, you can see why things take so long.
It looks like it might be a long haul. I suppose the cyclists of Wem have wanted a track of some description for at least 28 years and many people have tried in the past and failed. We hope this time will be different and all the people who have waited so long will eventually get a track.
We must ask again for your help to keep the track at the forefront of people's minds by continuing to express your support for a track and by asking your councillors how things are going. Don't let the naysayers be the only voices whose are heard.
17th November 2011
The Rec Site and the Football Pitch
Concerns have been raised over what would happen if the football pitch was reinstated.
Please click here and see how it might fit in.
At a few meetings it has been mentioned by councillors and Wem Sports Assosiation that the football pitch may be reinstated on the Rec. This is very good news and should be followed up. If you are a keen footballer please contact your councillor and see if it can be done. Imagine popping down on a Sunday morning or after work for a kick about with your Dad/Mum, son/daughter, grandchildren or a group of mates ... Sounds great to me. Click here for Councillors' contact details.
16th November 2011
Hi all, just a quick update .
Went along to the Bike Track Working Party meeting hoping for some news. We hoped to see reports from Rospa on the proposed sites. Unfortunately this had not happened, all that had been done was that they had written a letter to them. This is a real shame and highlights how slow things move within the Town Council. We could be in for long wait.
Minutes from the meeting are here if you want a look , any questions please ask and we will try to answer.
As you see it was resolved to spend £500.00 max on Rospa's visit and try and get as much as we can for that money.
This has to go to the full Town Council meeting to get approval . Once this is done Rospa will be asked to visit.
On a positive note we are moving forward and this is what we need to hold on to.
We do have support from many councillors so we thank them for this, as if we did not have this things would be a lot harder. THANK YOU.
Thank you all for your support as well we couldn't do it without you.
Bye for now
Hi all, just a quick update .
Went along to the Bike Track Working Party meeting hoping for some news. We hoped to see reports from Rospa on the proposed sites. Unfortunately this had not happened, all that had been done was that they had written a letter to them. This is a real shame and highlights how slow things move within the Town Council. We could be in for long wait.
Minutes from the meeting are here if you want a look , any questions please ask and we will try to answer.
As you see it was resolved to spend £500.00 max on Rospa's visit and try and get as much as we can for that money.
This has to go to the full Town Council meeting to get approval . Once this is done Rospa will be asked to visit.
On a positive note we are moving forward and this is what we need to hold on to.
We do have support from many councillors so we thank them for this, as if we did not have this things would be a lot harder. THANK YOU.
Thank you all for your support as well we couldn't do it without you.
Bye for now
28th October 2011
News Flash
We went along to the Town Council meeting last night to see if anything was moving as things seem to have stalled a little of late.
We have good news !!!!!!!!!!!!
We found out ROSPA are going to visit in the next couple of weeks and look at the proposed sites and give their report on them. We look forward to seeing what they have to say and fingers crossed it will help things to move forward.
The council received a very positive letter from Miss F Russell, the Associate Head at St. Peter's Primary School Wem, supporting us in our quest.
It's nice to receive letters in support of the track, even more so when they come from people who genuinely have the interests of children at heart. Thank you very much Miss Russell.
It's nice to have a bit of good news to tell you all and we are hoping for more soon.
Keep up the good work and we will post again soon.
News Flash
We went along to the Town Council meeting last night to see if anything was moving as things seem to have stalled a little of late.
We have good news !!!!!!!!!!!!
We found out ROSPA are going to visit in the next couple of weeks and look at the proposed sites and give their report on them. We look forward to seeing what they have to say and fingers crossed it will help things to move forward.
The council received a very positive letter from Miss F Russell, the Associate Head at St. Peter's Primary School Wem, supporting us in our quest.
It's nice to receive letters in support of the track, even more so when they come from people who genuinely have the interests of children at heart. Thank you very much Miss Russell.
It's nice to have a bit of good news to tell you all and we are hoping for more soon.
Keep up the good work and we will post again soon.
07th October
Hi all, I hope you are all good.
I am just giving a little update on what is happening, as you may feel its all gone a little quiet on the Bike Track front. We are still working away in the background trying to push things on in a positive way.
At the last Town Council meeting it was decided by the Councillors to send a letter to Rospa ( The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents ) asking for some help.
The idea is that they will come out to Wem and look at the possible sites, then tell the Working Party/Town Council what they think.
If you click on the Rospa link you can see what they do.
As ROSPA are the experts they should be able to advise on the best location and what is involved in building a track from a safety point of view etc.
They can help hopefully answer some of the questions that keep coming up about the track like:
Please keep up the good work on Lobbying your Councillors for what you want. Your voice, whatever your age, is just as important as the next persons.
Remember that Wem Town Councillors are there to represent your views and what you would like see happen in Wem. They need your views on things that matter to you so they can act on them. So put pen to paper and drop them a line. Some councillors believe that the majority of people they represent don't want a track at all and certainly not on the REC.
If YOU don't tell them what YOU think then they will continue to listen to what turned out to be the minority of people in the consultation. Some views have been put forward to discredit the initial consultation process. If the results had been different then I'm sure this wouldn't have happened.
If we think back just a few months ago all the Councillors voted in favour of the track and they still are (as far as we know). The focus now should be HOW DO WE MAKE THE TRACK HAPPEN rather than squabbling over minor detail.
Below is an article taken from the Town Council website, it is on the home page so it must be important.
___________________________________
Wem Town Council is committed to improving its facilities for its residents and visitors. It was recently involved in the Market Towns Initiative and will continue to work with others where possible to bring improvements to the town.
The Town Council plays an active role in the town by supporting local organisations with financial contributions when possible. It is strongly supportive of initiatives for younger people and Wem Youth Club.
The Town Council is regularly consulted by other organisations on matters that effect the town. The Town Council puts forward its views and observations on these matters on behalf of the local community and also makes representations on many issues of concern to the appropriate bodies.
_____________________________________
Come on Wem Town Council, you can do it; make it happen!
________________________
Hi all, I hope you are all good.
I am just giving a little update on what is happening, as you may feel its all gone a little quiet on the Bike Track front. We are still working away in the background trying to push things on in a positive way.
At the last Town Council meeting it was decided by the Councillors to send a letter to Rospa ( The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents ) asking for some help.
The idea is that they will come out to Wem and look at the possible sites, then tell the Working Party/Town Council what they think.
If you click on the Rospa link you can see what they do.
As ROSPA are the experts they should be able to advise on the best location and what is involved in building a track from a safety point of view etc.
They can help hopefully answer some of the questions that keep coming up about the track like:
- What makes a good location ?
- How can we make a track safe but a fun track for all ?
- Does it need fencing all the way round ?
- How close from the road, trees, paths etc should it go ?
- and many more things that we have not yet thought of.
Please keep up the good work on Lobbying your Councillors for what you want. Your voice, whatever your age, is just as important as the next persons.
Remember that Wem Town Councillors are there to represent your views and what you would like see happen in Wem. They need your views on things that matter to you so they can act on them. So put pen to paper and drop them a line. Some councillors believe that the majority of people they represent don't want a track at all and certainly not on the REC.
If YOU don't tell them what YOU think then they will continue to listen to what turned out to be the minority of people in the consultation. Some views have been put forward to discredit the initial consultation process. If the results had been different then I'm sure this wouldn't have happened.
If we think back just a few months ago all the Councillors voted in favour of the track and they still are (as far as we know). The focus now should be HOW DO WE MAKE THE TRACK HAPPEN rather than squabbling over minor detail.
Below is an article taken from the Town Council website, it is on the home page so it must be important.
___________________________________
Wem Town Council is committed to improving its facilities for its residents and visitors. It was recently involved in the Market Towns Initiative and will continue to work with others where possible to bring improvements to the town.
The Town Council plays an active role in the town by supporting local organisations with financial contributions when possible. It is strongly supportive of initiatives for younger people and Wem Youth Club.
The Town Council is regularly consulted by other organisations on matters that effect the town. The Town Council puts forward its views and observations on these matters on behalf of the local community and also makes representations on many issues of concern to the appropriate bodies.
_____________________________________
Come on Wem Town Council, you can do it; make it happen!
________________________
1st October
A number of people have asked us why we have not reported on the recent working party held on 21st September.
The answer is simple; we are true to our word.
Let us explain what that means.
At the meeting we agreed not to report on the working party meeting until the minutes from that meeting had been approved. Very sensible we thought that nothing should be released until all present had read and approved the minutes.
True to our word we haven't reported on them.
In answer to further questions asked of us, we don't know how the minutes of the meeting have become public knowledge. They have not been released by us.
They have, however, been distributed as unapproved minutes to members of the Town Council and the working party in the "interests of making progress without delay".
We will give detailed feedback and elaboration of the minutes once they have been approved. We are currently questioning the accuracy and bias of the minutes, the way they have been distributed, discussed and the manner in which unseen documents were attached to them and other documents omitted.
The answer is simple; we are true to our word.
Let us explain what that means.
At the meeting we agreed not to report on the working party meeting until the minutes from that meeting had been approved. Very sensible we thought that nothing should be released until all present had read and approved the minutes.
True to our word we haven't reported on them.
In answer to further questions asked of us, we don't know how the minutes of the meeting have become public knowledge. They have not been released by us.
They have, however, been distributed as unapproved minutes to members of the Town Council and the working party in the "interests of making progress without delay".
We will give detailed feedback and elaboration of the minutes once they have been approved. We are currently questioning the accuracy and bias of the minutes, the way they have been distributed, discussed and the manner in which unseen documents were attached to them and other documents omitted.
14th September
Wembiketrack group were kindly invited to speak at The Shropshire Cycle Forum at Shirehall in Shrewsbury on Wednesday 14th September (see agenda below). They had seen this website and read about it in the press. There were around 50 people present from all over Shropshire including Town Councillors and Shropshire Councillors. There were no members of Wem Town Council present.
We gave a presentation on the progress so far and what had happened in the last 6 months. We had lots of questions and very helpful advice and support. We got a spontaneous round of applause after our presentation which was really encouraging.
During the meeting there were also presentations from Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin council about cycling across the county. It became obvious that Wem is currently lagging way behind many other towns and villages in Shropshire in providing a safe environment in which people can learn to ride their bike, hone their skills and keep fit.
THIS IS WHY WE ARE SPENDING SO MUCH OF OUR TIME TO ENCOURAGE THE TOWN COUNCIL TO PUT THIS RIGHT.
Interestingly there is a cycle track in Telford that is being built on a school site next year. It will be locked during the day, completely fenced in and only open to the public once or twice a week. Not the sort of thing that we want in Wem because of the cost; and a not a facility that would be open for all to use. This is yet another reason why, for us, the REC would be the best place in Wem. Just to clarify, we are asking for a cycle track NOT a BMX track or any other kind of RACE track.
We are looking for a track that can be ridden by a complete beginner of any age on just about any bike.
We gave a presentation on the progress so far and what had happened in the last 6 months. We had lots of questions and very helpful advice and support. We got a spontaneous round of applause after our presentation which was really encouraging.
During the meeting there were also presentations from Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin council about cycling across the county. It became obvious that Wem is currently lagging way behind many other towns and villages in Shropshire in providing a safe environment in which people can learn to ride their bike, hone their skills and keep fit.
THIS IS WHY WE ARE SPENDING SO MUCH OF OUR TIME TO ENCOURAGE THE TOWN COUNCIL TO PUT THIS RIGHT.
Interestingly there is a cycle track in Telford that is being built on a school site next year. It will be locked during the day, completely fenced in and only open to the public once or twice a week. Not the sort of thing that we want in Wem because of the cost; and a not a facility that would be open for all to use. This is yet another reason why, for us, the REC would be the best place in Wem. Just to clarify, we are asking for a cycle track NOT a BMX track or any other kind of RACE track.
We are looking for a track that can be ridden by a complete beginner of any age on just about any bike.
| shropshire_cycle_forum_agenda.pdf |
Thursday 8th September
Well things are moving slowly at the moment but still moving.
As always if you can write to the Town Council that would help make our case stronger . We still need to keep on asking them for the track, we don't want them to forget about us now do we !!!!
Sorry to keep on about writing to the council but we need to keep lobbying and maybe in the end we will get our track.
Also the Town Council are very good with email, so its not always best to put pen to paper to make your view heard. Email them at info@wem.gov.uk
We have a working party meeting in a couple of weeks and after that the Town Council meeting on Thursday 29th Sept 7.15pm at Edinburgh House which you are all invited to attend.
As you can see from all the articles below we have a strong case for the track, so let's hope the councillors think so too and give us the thumbs up.
As always if you have any questions, comments or ideas on how we should make our case stronger please mail us.
Also the minutes from the last meeting have just been published so please take a look and you can keep up to speed on the latest news.
Well things are moving slowly at the moment but still moving.
As always if you can write to the Town Council that would help make our case stronger . We still need to keep on asking them for the track, we don't want them to forget about us now do we !!!!
Sorry to keep on about writing to the council but we need to keep lobbying and maybe in the end we will get our track.
Also the Town Council are very good with email, so its not always best to put pen to paper to make your view heard. Email them at info@wem.gov.uk
We have a working party meeting in a couple of weeks and after that the Town Council meeting on Thursday 29th Sept 7.15pm at Edinburgh House which you are all invited to attend.
As you can see from all the articles below we have a strong case for the track, so let's hope the councillors think so too and give us the thumbs up.
As always if you have any questions, comments or ideas on how we should make our case stronger please mail us.
Also the minutes from the last meeting have just been published so please take a look and you can keep up to speed on the latest news.
Article below taken from the Town Council website
Wem Town Council is committed to improving its facilities for its residents and visitors. It was recently involved in the Market Towns Initiative and will continue to work with others where possible to bring improvements to the town.
The Town Council plays an active role in the town by supporting local organisations with financial contributions when possible. It is strongly supportive of initiatives for younger people and Wem Youth Club.
The Town Council is regularly consulted by other organisations on matters that effect the town. The Town Council puts forward its views and observations on these matters on behalf of the local community and also makes representations on many issues of concern to the appropriate bodies.
Wem Town Council is committed to improving its facilities for its residents and visitors. It was recently involved in the Market Towns Initiative and will continue to work with others where possible to bring improvements to the town.
The Town Council plays an active role in the town by supporting local organisations with financial contributions when possible. It is strongly supportive of initiatives for younger people and Wem Youth Club.
The Town Council is regularly consulted by other organisations on matters that effect the town. The Town Council puts forward its views and observations on these matters on behalf of the local community and also makes representations on many issues of concern to the appropriate bodies.
Shropshire Star, Friday 2nd September 2011
This is a cutting from the Shropshire Star.
North Shropshire Chronicle 1st September 2011
Just to clarify, the cost to Wem Town Council to install a track is £0. This is because of the good will of local businesses and people. Furthermore Wembiketrack have offered to maintain the track for a period of 5 years at no cost to the Council.
Whilst a scheme of this nature would normally cost in the region of £8,000, this one wont because it is a community effort.
North Shropshire Chronicle
An article appeared on the front page of the Chronicle on 1st September.
Comments and Observations from the Latest Town Council Meeting (25/08/11)
At last night's Town Council meeting the proposed bike track was on the agenda (click here for the agenda).
CONSULTATION RESULTS
The results of the consultation showed an overwhelming majority of people in favour of the track per se and and indeed the siting of the track on the recreation ground. It was noted by the Mayor that the residents of Wem have been asking for a bike track to be sited in Wem for at least 28 years; he produced a paper cutting from the Shropshire Star (1983) to prove this. Indeed a trawl of the internet shows further evidence for this and more specifically for the REC to be used for such a track (click here to see evidence from November 1986). Wem Town Plan 2007 sites the need for more leisure facilities, cycling opportunities and an improvement of the play space as priorities (section 2.3). Many people say that they want a track/ they support the idea of a track. How many people are actively seeking to make this happen?
OBJECTIONS
The objections to the recreation ground centred mainly around existing antisocial behaviour problems on the REC. What a pity that a small minority have such a large impact on the people of Wem. This is not a REC issue or a bike track issue but a social problem. If you spot any antisocial behaviour then please ring 0300 333 3000 (In an emergency always call 999). You can also call anonomously on 0800 555 111 to report such things (click here for more information). Why put up with it?
Fencing seems to crop up on a regular basis, the track would be fenced off if the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) deemed it necessary (click here for details on ROSPA). They would also advise on the siting of the track and its proximity to existing paths, trees, boundary fences and games areas. This is all common sense.
Maintenance of the track seemed to be a big issue for the Wem Sports and Social Association, also known as Wem Sports Association. Wembiketrack group have offered to maintain the track for a period of 5 years at no cost to the council/people of Wem. Indeed we would like to set up a club (free membership) that would oversee the maintenance and organise regular litter picking sessions on the track as well as bike maintenance and track skills. The Wem Sports Association (Charity Commission Registered Number 522583) say that they can't afford to maintain the track. To view their annual accounts click here. One would expect the support of the Wem Sports Association given their Constitution:
Constitution adopted 23rd January 1967 as amended 23rd April 1969, 29th April 1980 and 15th December 1981 and 7th June 1993.
Objects:
1. To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of Wem andthe neighbourhood without distinction ofsex or of political religious or other opinions by associating local authorities, voluntary organisations and inhabitants in a common effort to provide facilities in the interest of social welfare recreation and leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants;
2. To establish or to secure the establishment of a Sports Centre and to maintain and manage or to cooperate with any local statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a centre for actives promoted by the association and its constituent bodies in furtherance of the above objects.
Sadly some of the comments made by the association don't fit with their constitution. Perhaps as members of the working party they would like to explain, in the interest of social welfare, how they could help support the inhabitants of Wem who are keen on leisure activities such as cycling?
WORKING PARTY
It was (eventually) decided that a working party would be set up to discuss the matter further and this working party should meet before the next Town Council meeting. This, presumably, will enable a decision to be made about the track at the next Town Council meeting on September 29th.
24th August 2011
Just a reminder to you all about the council meeting tomorrow evening 7.15pm at Edinburgh House New st Wem.
Ruth Mansfield is reporting to the councillors with the results of the Consultation. We are hoping for a positive result so if you can, pop along and give us some support .
Thanks Simon
Just a reminder to you all about the council meeting tomorrow evening 7.15pm at Edinburgh House New st Wem.
Ruth Mansfield is reporting to the councillors with the results of the Consultation. We are hoping for a positive result so if you can, pop along and give us some support .
Thanks Simon
Saturday 20th August
A big thank you to all who came to the consultation, it was good to meet and speak with you all.
We had a positive response and almost all agreed we need a bike track in Wem . It's just the location that's the problem. On that matter, many of the residents from the surrounding houses came too and made many very good points. The residents know what goes on on the Rec so their views on where it should be sited are the ones we need to consider very carefully.
It was good to talk to everyone and explain exactly what our aim is and who is likely to use the track.
Some people didn't know much about it at all, others had been misinformed, so it was nice to be able to tell them all about it and allay some concerns.
We changed a few minds and some didn't want to change but hey you can't win them all.
Thanks to Ruth Mansfield for carrying out the consultation on behalf of the Town Council. It was great to see some of the councillors at the consultation. Ruth has taken all the results away to collate and will report to the Town Council next Thursday. We are no. 5 on the agenda so if you can make it, come along and see how it goes.
Cheers Simon
A big thank you to all who came to the consultation, it was good to meet and speak with you all.
We had a positive response and almost all agreed we need a bike track in Wem . It's just the location that's the problem. On that matter, many of the residents from the surrounding houses came too and made many very good points. The residents know what goes on on the Rec so their views on where it should be sited are the ones we need to consider very carefully.
It was good to talk to everyone and explain exactly what our aim is and who is likely to use the track.
Some people didn't know much about it at all, others had been misinformed, so it was nice to be able to tell them all about it and allay some concerns.
We changed a few minds and some didn't want to change but hey you can't win them all.
Thanks to Ruth Mansfield for carrying out the consultation on behalf of the Town Council. It was great to see some of the councillors at the consultation. Ruth has taken all the results away to collate and will report to the Town Council next Thursday. We are no. 5 on the agenda so if you can make it, come along and see how it goes.
Cheers Simon
Wednesday 17th August
Don't forget, tomorrow is the first day of the consultation, so please pop down to the Rec to get your views heard.The lady from Shropshire Council will be there from 3-7pm telling you all about it and has a little questionnaire to fill in. If you can't make it, download the questionnaire below and post/email them back.
Tell your friends and all who will listen and even ones who won't.
We have worked hard to get this far so make sure you get down to the Rec and make your voice heard.
Don't forget, tomorrow is the first day of the consultation, so please pop down to the Rec to get your views heard.The lady from Shropshire Council will be there from 3-7pm telling you all about it and has a little questionnaire to fill in. If you can't make it, download the questionnaire below and post/email them back.
Tell your friends and all who will listen and even ones who won't.
We have worked hard to get this far so make sure you get down to the Rec and make your voice heard.
12th AugustThe consultation process is now in full swing with two possible sites in the running for the proposed bike track in Wem.
There will be information leaflets and consultation documents dropping through the letterboxes of residents who live in close proximity to the two proposed sites. If you want to see the documents, copies are available to download to the right of this posting. Everyone will have a chance to say what they think and fill in a form. You can download a form, print it out and post it to: Ruth Mansfield Community Action Officer Shropshire Council Edinburgh House New Street Wem Shropshire SY4 5DB ....or you could email it to her (ruth.mansfield@shropshire.gov.uk). Ruth will also be on the REC in Wem on Thursday and Friday 18/19th August from 3pm until 7pm. Come along and get answers to some of your questions, find out more about the design of the track and most importantly HAVE YOUR SAY, fill in a form and hand it to Ruth. | Public Consultation
Wem Bike Track Thursday 18th & Friday 19th August 2011
| ||||||||||
10 August 2011
Ok everyone things are moving along now and we have some dates for your diary.
On Thursday 18th and Friday 19th of August 2011 the Consultation will be taking place on the Recreation Ground between 3pm and 7pm. They will be there to collect information from everyone about the idea of the Biketrack and where it should go. So take a trip down there get your views across and fill in a questionaire .
We are getting closer to getting the track built we just need to keep going.
Ok everyone things are moving along now and we have some dates for your diary.
On Thursday 18th and Friday 19th of August 2011 the Consultation will be taking place on the Recreation Ground between 3pm and 7pm. They will be there to collect information from everyone about the idea of the Biketrack and where it should go. So take a trip down there get your views across and fill in a questionaire .
We are getting closer to getting the track built we just need to keep going.
31 July 2011
We have added a new page looking at the two proposed sites.
Please have a look and tell us your views on it.
28th July 2011
First off, thank you to all who came to the meeting last night and a special thanks to Councillor Mellings for helping us to push this forward. It was nice to see some of the people who will be using the track once we get it built. We had around 20 supporters which again was a good turn out . We had a few ups and a few downs but overall the meeting went well.
It was a good opportunity to answer some of the Council's questions and clarify some points for them. For example, if the track were to be sited on the Rec it would not mean moving or losing any other existing amenity on the Rec such as the multi use games area. There are no plans to hold formal, organised competitions on the track, so there should be no significant additional parking required which was a concern. There was also a little confusion over what we would like to build. We do not intend to build a BMX track, which is designed for jumping and doing tricks, or large BMX ramps which would cause bikes to 'go flying through the air' which was one councillor's concern. Instead we were able to explain that we would like to build a pump track which riders of all ages and ability could use without risk to themselves or other users of the Rec. The beauty of a pump track is that it is designed for riders to roll round the track without pedalling. When carefully designed, a pump track can allow learner riders to have fun and gain confidence whilst also allowing more proficient riders a degree of challenge and excitement. It was good to be able to allay some councillors fears that the track might be 'agressive' and explain more clearly what we would like to bring to Wem.
We have moved a big step forward as the councillors have now agreed unanimously to go to consultation on 2 sites, the Recreaction Ground and another site on the school field at Adams. It was disappointing to hear so much opposition to the track be sited on the Rec already and unfortunately it would seem that some councillors have already made up their mind on the siting before consultation has taken place as evidenced by their desire to vote by sealed envelope at the next meeting. However, it is important to remember that we at Wem biketrack are open minded as to the location of the site. Our priority is to get a biketrack in Wem which is safe, open and free to all.
The consultation is where they look at the pros and cons of each site in depth and get official bodies like ROSPA to see how suitable the sites are. They will also ask YOU the public to give your opinion on the sites to see what you think. We will keep you informed on any progress etc.
Thank you again for all your support and help.
First off, thank you to all who came to the meeting last night and a special thanks to Councillor Mellings for helping us to push this forward. It was nice to see some of the people who will be using the track once we get it built. We had around 20 supporters which again was a good turn out . We had a few ups and a few downs but overall the meeting went well.
It was a good opportunity to answer some of the Council's questions and clarify some points for them. For example, if the track were to be sited on the Rec it would not mean moving or losing any other existing amenity on the Rec such as the multi use games area. There are no plans to hold formal, organised competitions on the track, so there should be no significant additional parking required which was a concern. There was also a little confusion over what we would like to build. We do not intend to build a BMX track, which is designed for jumping and doing tricks, or large BMX ramps which would cause bikes to 'go flying through the air' which was one councillor's concern. Instead we were able to explain that we would like to build a pump track which riders of all ages and ability could use without risk to themselves or other users of the Rec. The beauty of a pump track is that it is designed for riders to roll round the track without pedalling. When carefully designed, a pump track can allow learner riders to have fun and gain confidence whilst also allowing more proficient riders a degree of challenge and excitement. It was good to be able to allay some councillors fears that the track might be 'agressive' and explain more clearly what we would like to bring to Wem.
We have moved a big step forward as the councillors have now agreed unanimously to go to consultation on 2 sites, the Recreaction Ground and another site on the school field at Adams. It was disappointing to hear so much opposition to the track be sited on the Rec already and unfortunately it would seem that some councillors have already made up their mind on the siting before consultation has taken place as evidenced by their desire to vote by sealed envelope at the next meeting. However, it is important to remember that we at Wem biketrack are open minded as to the location of the site. Our priority is to get a biketrack in Wem which is safe, open and free to all.
The consultation is where they look at the pros and cons of each site in depth and get official bodies like ROSPA to see how suitable the sites are. They will also ask YOU the public to give your opinion on the sites to see what you think. We will keep you informed on any progress etc.
Thank you again for all your support and help.
27th July 2011
OK everyone, we need as many of you as possible to come to the meeting this Thursday 28th July 7.15pm at Edinburgh House, New St, Wem. The more of us there, the more we can show our support for a bike track in Wem; it is as simple as that.
The councillors all voted for the track back at the March meeting but unfortunately things seem to be moving quite slowly.
We at Wem Bike Track have answered all their questions and we would now like some action !!!!
Currently, we have someone to build it for free as well, how good is that !!!!!!!!!
So this is where you come in, please come along . We are no. 4 on the agenda. Take a look at www.wem.gov.uk/ top right of home page under lastest docs.
We are hoping they will agree to look at building it on the Rec . Then we can have a consultation about it and look in to all the issues of the site, good and bad, so a sensible, well informed decision can be made.
Money has already been secured for this purpose so no worries there.
We are grateful for the support recieved from the council so far. If you have a little time, please look at www.wem.gov.uk/ and you can see that they really do want to improve facilities in Wem for its residents and visitors.
What better opportunity than this, to have a wonderful bike track built at no cost to the council or the council tax payer. Just think of all the benefits this would bring to the community: a free amenity requiring no membership fee and therefore available to all and open at a time to suit everyone (all the time) a safe and exciting place to ride your bike (any bike will do).
a way to get fit
a way to be healthy
a place to meet friends
a place to make new friends
a safe palce to chill out
a great place to play
a safe environment for our children
a local attraction
a central location
a place to learn new skills
a reason to get out of the house a reason to get off the x-box, ds etc an opportunity to get some fresh aira reason for people to come into Wem and visit the local shops and businesses...
Really the list is endless, I am sure everyone in Wem could come up with more reasons why a bike track would be a good thing. After writing all this I can not see why anyone would not go for it, can you ?? Come and see democracy in action at Edinburgh House, New St, Wem at 7.15pm on Thursday 28th of July .
I hope to see you all tomorrow . Together we can make this happen.
Simon
OK everyone, we need as many of you as possible to come to the meeting this Thursday 28th July 7.15pm at Edinburgh House, New St, Wem. The more of us there, the more we can show our support for a bike track in Wem; it is as simple as that.
The councillors all voted for the track back at the March meeting but unfortunately things seem to be moving quite slowly.
We at Wem Bike Track have answered all their questions and we would now like some action !!!!
Currently, we have someone to build it for free as well, how good is that !!!!!!!!!
So this is where you come in, please come along . We are no. 4 on the agenda. Take a look at www.wem.gov.uk/ top right of home page under lastest docs.
We are hoping they will agree to look at building it on the Rec . Then we can have a consultation about it and look in to all the issues of the site, good and bad, so a sensible, well informed decision can be made.
Money has already been secured for this purpose so no worries there.
We are grateful for the support recieved from the council so far. If you have a little time, please look at www.wem.gov.uk/ and you can see that they really do want to improve facilities in Wem for its residents and visitors.
What better opportunity than this, to have a wonderful bike track built at no cost to the council or the council tax payer. Just think of all the benefits this would bring to the community: a free amenity requiring no membership fee and therefore available to all and open at a time to suit everyone (all the time) a safe and exciting place to ride your bike (any bike will do).
a way to get fit
a way to be healthy
a place to meet friends
a place to make new friends
a safe palce to chill out
a great place to play
a safe environment for our children
a local attraction
a central location
a place to learn new skills
a reason to get out of the house a reason to get off the x-box, ds etc an opportunity to get some fresh aira reason for people to come into Wem and visit the local shops and businesses...
Really the list is endless, I am sure everyone in Wem could come up with more reasons why a bike track would be a good thing. After writing all this I can not see why anyone would not go for it, can you ?? Come and see democracy in action at Edinburgh House, New St, Wem at 7.15pm on Thursday 28th of July .
I hope to see you all tomorrow . Together we can make this happen.
Simon
22nd July 2011
Well things seem to be moving along a bit quicker now. We had a meeting with Chris Mellings , Ruth Manfield and some guys from the Wem Sports Association last week about the location and size of the track etc . The meeting went well and they seem to be a little more open to what we are proposing, so that was a result.
At the meeting it was decided to ask the Town Council at the next meeting (28th July) to start to look at the Recreation Ground Site in more depth and begin a consultation process.
What this means is that we make it official what our plans are and the area we would like to build it.
The surrounding residents and all others with an interest (you lot) are asked what their views are on the idea.
We really want the local community to be on our side ,so if you know anyone in the local area please
try and get them on our side.
Also you can contact the Town Council and tell them what you think.
Once we get them to agree to all this we can start having a bit of fun planning what to build!!!!!
Once again I am asking for your support at the next Council Meeting at 7.15pm 28th July 2011 at Edinburgh House. Please if you can make a little time come along , it is very important to show we have a lot of support. The last meeting was not the best we have had but with over 30 people turning up to support us it did show the Councillors we mean business and that we want to get something done and soon.
Also it is nice for us to see that you support us and together we can make Wembiketrack become a reality not just a website.
Just a quick 'thank you' for your support so far. We still have a way to go but we are moving forward; it may be a little slow but we are moving.
The more we pressure the Town Council the quicker we can make it happen.
Cheers Simon
Have a quick look at Tracks I have added a couple of pics for you to look at .
Well things seem to be moving along a bit quicker now. We had a meeting with Chris Mellings , Ruth Manfield and some guys from the Wem Sports Association last week about the location and size of the track etc . The meeting went well and they seem to be a little more open to what we are proposing, so that was a result.
At the meeting it was decided to ask the Town Council at the next meeting (28th July) to start to look at the Recreation Ground Site in more depth and begin a consultation process.
What this means is that we make it official what our plans are and the area we would like to build it.
The surrounding residents and all others with an interest (you lot) are asked what their views are on the idea.
We really want the local community to be on our side ,so if you know anyone in the local area please
try and get them on our side.
Also you can contact the Town Council and tell them what you think.
Once we get them to agree to all this we can start having a bit of fun planning what to build!!!!!
Once again I am asking for your support at the next Council Meeting at 7.15pm 28th July 2011 at Edinburgh House. Please if you can make a little time come along , it is very important to show we have a lot of support. The last meeting was not the best we have had but with over 30 people turning up to support us it did show the Councillors we mean business and that we want to get something done and soon.
Also it is nice for us to see that you support us and together we can make Wembiketrack become a reality not just a website.
Just a quick 'thank you' for your support so far. We still have a way to go but we are moving forward; it may be a little slow but we are moving.
The more we pressure the Town Council the quicker we can make it happen.
Cheers Simon
Have a quick look at Tracks I have added a couple of pics for you to look at .
8th July2011
Well thank you all for coming to the council meeting. It was a lively affair .
Apologies. There was a misunderstanding about the agenda and I was only told by email that evening we were not on the the agenda.
Sorry to any of you who were misinformed and told a meeting was not taking place.It was and did.
It is a public meeting and anyone from Wem urban is allowed to go and address the councillors whilst anyone can go and listen.
I had a little count up and we had about thirty people turn up and support us, so that is a really good turn out. Keep up the good work everyone.
We hung about for an hour and a quarter before we could have our say. The upshot of all this is that we will be meeting the environment committee soon on site to discuss the Biketrack further. We are still heading in the right direction . Thank you to those councillors who have been supportive and open to discussing the future of the track with us. This support is greatly apperciated; thank you again as we can not do it without your support.
I am sorry this is a slow process but we have to please a lot of people and this takes time. Please stick with us, we will get our track.
Keep looking on this site and we will update as soon as we have some more news.
Thank you again for your support.
Well thank you all for coming to the council meeting. It was a lively affair .
Apologies. There was a misunderstanding about the agenda and I was only told by email that evening we were not on the the agenda.
Sorry to any of you who were misinformed and told a meeting was not taking place.It was and did.
It is a public meeting and anyone from Wem urban is allowed to go and address the councillors whilst anyone can go and listen.
I had a little count up and we had about thirty people turn up and support us, so that is a really good turn out. Keep up the good work everyone.
We hung about for an hour and a quarter before we could have our say. The upshot of all this is that we will be meeting the environment committee soon on site to discuss the Biketrack further. We are still heading in the right direction . Thank you to those councillors who have been supportive and open to discussing the future of the track with us. This support is greatly apperciated; thank you again as we can not do it without your support.
I am sorry this is a slow process but we have to please a lot of people and this takes time. Please stick with us, we will get our track.
Keep looking on this site and we will update as soon as we have some more news.
Thank you again for your support.
28th June 2011
Time change for Council meeting. It's starting at 7.15pm not 7.30pm. Sorry about that, I had 7.30pm in my head for some reason, don't worry if you can't get there till 7.30pm as it takes them a while to get going.
Keep an eye on the Wem Town Council website under "How we make decisions",for the Agenda and minutes of past meetings. Forgot how to hyperlink it so you will have to type it in. www.wem.gov.uk
Please if you are not doing anything on Thursday evening come along to the Council meeting and support Wem Bike Track . Can you also ask your friends and family to come along too so we can really make our point heard.
It does not matter if you can not stay for long just come and support us.
Thank You Simon.
Time change for Council meeting. It's starting at 7.15pm not 7.30pm. Sorry about that, I had 7.30pm in my head for some reason, don't worry if you can't get there till 7.30pm as it takes them a while to get going.
Keep an eye on the Wem Town Council website under "How we make decisions",for the Agenda and minutes of past meetings. Forgot how to hyperlink it so you will have to type it in. www.wem.gov.uk
Please if you are not doing anything on Thursday evening come along to the Council meeting and support Wem Bike Track . Can you also ask your friends and family to come along too so we can really make our point heard.
It does not matter if you can not stay for long just come and support us.
Thank You Simon.
19th June 2011
Ok everyone we have the next council meeting coming up on Thursday 30th June at 7.30pm at Edinburgh House. They will be discussing our track, or more to the point the location of our track. We need you to come along and give us your support to show the councillors we are serious about the track.
If you can spare a little time and come along to see what is happening and support us that would be great. We really need you to come along and make your voices heard. At the last meeting 13 of us turned up and that made a big difference; they took us more seriously so we really need you as it could make or break the track. Bring your brother, sister, mum and dad as we need all the support we can get. It does not matter if you can only come for 5 minutes, just come and support us.
If we can get a decision in our favour then we can get on with building the track.
It's looking like the actual track building is going to be the easy bit.
So come on everyone it's your town let's come together and make something good happen.
We can do it together.
Ok everyone we have the next council meeting coming up on Thursday 30th June at 7.30pm at Edinburgh House. They will be discussing our track, or more to the point the location of our track. We need you to come along and give us your support to show the councillors we are serious about the track.
If you can spare a little time and come along to see what is happening and support us that would be great. We really need you to come along and make your voices heard. At the last meeting 13 of us turned up and that made a big difference; they took us more seriously so we really need you as it could make or break the track. Bring your brother, sister, mum and dad as we need all the support we can get. It does not matter if you can only come for 5 minutes, just come and support us.
If we can get a decision in our favour then we can get on with building the track.
It's looking like the actual track building is going to be the easy bit.
So come on everyone it's your town let's come together and make something good happen.
We can do it together.
8th June 2011
Well, we all had a great time at Llandegla. It was great to meet you all and maybe we can do it again sometime.
On the Bike Track front, things are moving along in the right direction; maybe a bit slowly, but still moving forward.
The siting of the track is the issue of the moment. We need to get this right or it won't be any good. We don't want it stuck in some dark corner where no one wants to go, so we need to fight to get a good site.
At the moment the Town Council are looking at possible sites in Wem and weighing up the pros and cons of each site. We need to wait and see what they come up with. We will know more when they meet at the end of the month.
Please keep up your support and keep on asking any councillors you see what is happening.
Thanks.
Simon
Well, we all had a great time at Llandegla. It was great to meet you all and maybe we can do it again sometime.
On the Bike Track front, things are moving along in the right direction; maybe a bit slowly, but still moving forward.
The siting of the track is the issue of the moment. We need to get this right or it won't be any good. We don't want it stuck in some dark corner where no one wants to go, so we need to fight to get a good site.
At the moment the Town Council are looking at possible sites in Wem and weighing up the pros and cons of each site. We need to wait and see what they come up with. We will know more when they meet at the end of the month.
Please keep up your support and keep on asking any councillors you see what is happening.
Thanks.
Simon
21st May 2011
Llandegla tomorrow for all the ones lucky enough to get a seat .
If you all can make an effort to meet at the car park on time or a little early as the sooner you get loaded up, the sooner you can get on your way and have more time at Llandegla.
If anyone has a camera please take it along. It would be nice to have some photos of you having fun so we can show everyone what a wonderful time you had and how great it would be to have our own little track in Wem.
One other thing, as you may or may not know, Mick Boulton of Boultons coaches is driving the bus tomorrow. He has made all this possible as we could not have got you all to Llandegla for what you are paying. So please remember it's his coach and his free time so make a good impression and be good. Thank him for driving you to Llandegla and we might be able to do it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are going across in our own car ( to give more of you a chance of getting on the bus) and we will meet you there.
I hope we all have a wonderful day and look forward to meeting you.
If you have a problem please phone me, Simon, on 07973 442645. Leave a message if I don't answer and I will get back to you and we can sort it out.
Llandegla tomorrow for all the ones lucky enough to get a seat .
If you all can make an effort to meet at the car park on time or a little early as the sooner you get loaded up, the sooner you can get on your way and have more time at Llandegla.
If anyone has a camera please take it along. It would be nice to have some photos of you having fun so we can show everyone what a wonderful time you had and how great it would be to have our own little track in Wem.
One other thing, as you may or may not know, Mick Boulton of Boultons coaches is driving the bus tomorrow. He has made all this possible as we could not have got you all to Llandegla for what you are paying. So please remember it's his coach and his free time so make a good impression and be good. Thank him for driving you to Llandegla and we might be able to do it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are going across in our own car ( to give more of you a chance of getting on the bus) and we will meet you there.
I hope we all have a wonderful day and look forward to meeting you.
If you have a problem please phone me, Simon, on 07973 442645. Leave a message if I don't answer and I will get back to you and we can sort it out.
Wednesday 18th May
Thursdays Council meeting.
We met the Enviroment Committee last Thursday which looks after the open green areas in Wem .
The meeting went well and they all agreed the bike track is a very good idea and that due to the amount of support we have, there is a need for one.
Where we put the track was always going to be an issue and that is the stumbling block at the moment.
We told the council what we thought the best site would be .(The Rec). Some agreed and some need to be convinced that is the best location. They want to look at all options , which we agree they should do.
They are now conducting a survey on the sites where it can be put. We all hope that they come to the same conclusion as we have and that the Recreation ground is the best option for many reasons.
Please keep up the good work and keep the pressure on. Its not too late to email or write to the council with your views as we don't want them to think they can push this to one side.
Don't forget to get your track designs across to us and we will put them up on the site.
Thanks
Thursdays Council meeting.
We met the Enviroment Committee last Thursday which looks after the open green areas in Wem .
The meeting went well and they all agreed the bike track is a very good idea and that due to the amount of support we have, there is a need for one.
Where we put the track was always going to be an issue and that is the stumbling block at the moment.
We told the council what we thought the best site would be .(The Rec). Some agreed and some need to be convinced that is the best location. They want to look at all options , which we agree they should do.
They are now conducting a survey on the sites where it can be put. We all hope that they come to the same conclusion as we have and that the Recreation ground is the best option for many reasons.
Please keep up the good work and keep the pressure on. Its not too late to email or write to the council with your views as we don't want them to think they can push this to one side.
Don't forget to get your track designs across to us and we will put them up on the site.
Thanks
Tuesday 10th May
We met Wem Town Council at Upton Lane Bike Track in Shrewsbury this evening.
We had a very positive meeting. Taking them to this site showed them what is was that we are trying to get built in Wem. This explained that we are not after some huge structure that would take up half the Rec but a relatively small compact track slipped in the corner.
When we were there the track was being well used by the locals and a steady flow of people were using it. This showed the council that noise from the people using it and the noise from the bikes on the track was not an issue.
We are meeting them again on Thursday this week to push ahead and get a site for the track.
Wish us luck !!
We met Wem Town Council at Upton Lane Bike Track in Shrewsbury this evening.
We had a very positive meeting. Taking them to this site showed them what is was that we are trying to get built in Wem. This explained that we are not after some huge structure that would take up half the Rec but a relatively small compact track slipped in the corner.
When we were there the track was being well used by the locals and a steady flow of people were using it. This showed the council that noise from the people using it and the noise from the bikes on the track was not an issue.
We are meeting them again on Thursday this week to push ahead and get a site for the track.
Wish us luck !!
Thursday 5th May
We have managed to organise a small minibus to take a group of you who have helped to get us to this point to Llandegla Mountain Bike Centre on Sunday 22 May. .
If you think you might be interested in this, have a word with PE teacher Mark Cooper at Adams School Wem or email us here and we will see what we can do. Spaces are very limited so be quick.
As well as having a good ride round we can also have a good look at what they have done there.
They have a skills area and pump track to play on as well as the tracks through the woods. .Just google Llandegla MTB and you will be able to see what they have to offer.
We have managed to organise a small minibus to take a group of you who have helped to get us to this point to Llandegla Mountain Bike Centre on Sunday 22 May. .
If you think you might be interested in this, have a word with PE teacher Mark Cooper at Adams School Wem or email us here and we will see what we can do. Spaces are very limited so be quick.
As well as having a good ride round we can also have a good look at what they have done there.
They have a skills area and pump track to play on as well as the tracks through the woods. .Just google Llandegla MTB and you will be able to see what they have to offer.
Wednesday 4th May
We met with Councillor Chris Mellings last Saturday. A very positive meeting about the bike track. We have a couple of dates to meet with the Town Council Environment Committee.
We will be visiting Upton Lane track in Monkmoor as it is in a similar location and of a similar size to the track we would like to have in Wem, click here to see pictures of Upton Lane.
The idea is to show the Town Council what it could look like. Following this visit there will be a meeting at Edinburgh House of the Environment Committee and Wembiketrack.
Can we make it happen? Watch this space and give your support by visiting this site and posting a comment on the blog.
We will be visiting Upton Lane track in Monkmoor as it is in a similar location and of a similar size to the track we would like to have in Wem, click here to see pictures of Upton Lane.
The idea is to show the Town Council what it could look like. Following this visit there will be a meeting at Edinburgh House of the Environment Committee and Wembiketrack.
Can we make it happen? Watch this space and give your support by visiting this site and posting a comment on the blog.
21st April
Had an email from Councillor Chris Mellings today. We are arranging a meet and visit (with some Town Councillors) to a track in Shrewsbury. Upton Lane seems the best option to me. See video of Upton Lane here.
Itching to get things moving a little faster.
Itching to get things moving a little faster.
This article appeared in Shrewsbury lifestyle on April 14th |    click on any image to enlarge |
Hi everyone, hope you are all out or have been out riding your bikes on this super day.
I have a little favour to ask. If you go to a pump track can you take some pictures and send them to us with a little review of the track . Include things like:
Does it flow well .
What shape it is.
Where it is.
How big it is.
Anything else you think would be useful.
Track rating out of 10.
This article appeared in the Shropshire Star on Tuesday 5th April. |  Click on the image to enlarge.
|
Ok then boys and girls now we are over the first hurdle we need to start to think about the next.
We need to think of where we would like the track to be built ?
Here are a few points to consider , we don't want to build it somewhere no one will visit .
It needs to be easy and safe to get to.
A safe environment to ride and not isolated.
Good firm ground to build on. ie not wet or boggy.
Not too near rivers, ponds, roads or railways.
Does anyone have any suggestions of where they think we could site it ?
So get your heads together and come up with some suggestions and either put them on the blog or e-mail us.
We need to think of where we would like the track to be built ?
Here are a few points to consider , we don't want to build it somewhere no one will visit .
It needs to be easy and safe to get to.
A safe environment to ride and not isolated.
Good firm ground to build on. ie not wet or boggy.
Not too near rivers, ponds, roads or railways.
Does anyone have any suggestions of where they think we could site it ?
So get your heads together and come up with some suggestions and either put them on the blog or e-mail us.
Thursday 31st March 10pm
Hooray we are one step closer to the WEM BIKE TRACK becoming a reality.
Andy Wood did a wonderful speech thanks Andy, and thanks to those who came to give us support.
Thank you all for supporting us so far. I'm sure we will need much more to get this project put into action.
Hooray we are one step closer to the WEM BIKE TRACK becoming a reality.
Andy Wood did a wonderful speech thanks Andy, and thanks to those who came to give us support.
Thank you all for supporting us so far. I'm sure we will need much more to get this project put into action.
Thursday 31st March
Council meeting tonight 7.15pm Edinburgh House .
See you there.
We will be there from about 7pm.
Council meeting tonight 7.15pm Edinburgh House .
See you there.
We will be there from about 7pm.
Wednesday 30th March
OK everyone, just a quick reminder that it's the Wem Town Council meeting tomorrow night 7.15pm at Edinburgh House. If you are able to come along, we will be there from about 7pm and it would be great to see you. You need only stay for Andy Wood's brief talk to the councillors outlining our plans and asking for their support, so by about 8pm you should be free to leave.
The site seems to be going from strength to strength with over 1000 hits, so a big thanks to everyone for taking the time to have a look. We are taking these statistics to the meeting tomorrow night to show the large amount of support that exisits for the bike track. Please come back again as we frequently update the site with news of how things are progressing.
OK everyone, just a quick reminder that it's the Wem Town Council meeting tomorrow night 7.15pm at Edinburgh House. If you are able to come along, we will be there from about 7pm and it would be great to see you. You need only stay for Andy Wood's brief talk to the councillors outlining our plans and asking for their support, so by about 8pm you should be free to leave.
The site seems to be going from strength to strength with over 1000 hits, so a big thanks to everyone for taking the time to have a look. We are taking these statistics to the meeting tomorrow night to show the large amount of support that exisits for the bike track. Please come back again as we frequently update the site with news of how things are progressing.
Monday 28th March
Blog now open. Please make your comments on the blog about anything to do with the bike track or any questions you may have and suggestions you might want to make.
We are also on Twitter and Facebook so now you have no excuse not to spread the word.
Don't forget the Council meeting at Edinburgh House at 7.15pm Thursday this week. We would love to see you all and I am sure your Councillors would too!!!
Please e-mail your favourite councillor expressing your support for Wem biketrack.
Blog now open. Please make your comments on the blog about anything to do with the bike track or any questions you may have and suggestions you might want to make.
We are also on Twitter and Facebook so now you have no excuse not to spread the word.
Don't forget the Council meeting at Edinburgh House at 7.15pm Thursday this week. We would love to see you all and I am sure your Councillors would too!!!
Please e-mail your favourite councillor expressing your support for Wem biketrack.
Sunday 27th March
WOW 139 HITS YESTERDAY , THAT'S AMAZING
If we can turn all these into emails / letters that would be great.
So please keep up the good work and keep sending those emails /letters.
Thank you.
Saturday 26 March
Things are really going well now. We have changed the site slightly, hope you like it.
Thanks to all those who have done the survey and more importantly sent letters of support to the council.
Please keep telling everyone you know about what we are trying to do and ask them to write or email too.
It would be great to see you at the meeting on Thursday at 7.15pm at Edinburgh House to lend your support.
Come on your bike!
Things are really going well now. We have changed the site slightly, hope you like it.
Thanks to all those who have done the survey and more importantly sent letters of support to the council.
Please keep telling everyone you know about what we are trying to do and ask them to write or email too.
It would be great to see you at the meeting on Thursday at 7.15pm at Edinburgh House to lend your support.
Come on your bike!
Tuesday 22/03/11
Great News! We are on the agenda at the Wem Town council meeting on Thursday 31 March 7.15pm at Edinburgh House .
We are allowed 3 mins to put our case to the councillors.
So if you're at a loose end, please come along .
I hope you're all getting your letters sent, please ask all your family and friends to do the same as the more people who mail them the more chance they will take us seriously.
Anyone who can help in any way please get in touch.
Take a look on the tracks page for a few options on where a track may go.
Great News! We are on the agenda at the Wem Town council meeting on Thursday 31 March 7.15pm at Edinburgh House .
We are allowed 3 mins to put our case to the councillors.
So if you're at a loose end, please come along .
I hope you're all getting your letters sent, please ask all your family and friends to do the same as the more people who mail them the more chance they will take us seriously.
Anyone who can help in any way please get in touch.
Take a look on the tracks page for a few options on where a track may go.
20/03/11
Looking good , 302 views and 33 surveys filled in.
This is really good going as its only just over a week we have been online.
So come on you lazy lot and get writing to your council , we need to make ourselves heard. We have only one letter
sent at the moment and that was from an eight year old . So lets get writing and see what the say.
If you have sent a letter by post or email please tick the box above so we can see how things are going.
Mums and Dads can help as well , as you pay for the town council so your letter or email would have a bit more power.
Thank you all.
15/03/2011 Well Done Everyone after only 3 days we are off to flying start.
We seem to be doing well. We have had 152 views and 21 people have filled in the Survey, with only one negative and most of you would help with the build of the track.
The more people who fill in the survey the better as this will give us more evidence to show that there is a need for a track in wem , your track !!
This is all very good news but please get writing and talking to your council and councillors we need to show them we are serious about this.
Ask your parents for help as well ,I am sure they would like to get you out the house every now and then. Ha Ha Ha
If anyone has any ideas on how to push this forward please email us (see contact page)
We are off to a good start particularly as it's been a very low key launch. The site has had 86 views to date with 17 people filling in the survey. Out of the people who have filled in the survey most seem to want to help with the project. We have had one who thought it was a bad idea but would ride it on a Tuesday. Work that one out !!!!
Think how great it would be if we could get all those who have taken the time to look at this site to write a letter to the town council. That really would be a great start! So come on, if you haven't written yet drop them a line.
If you have any ideas, comments etc. please get in touch at wembiketrack@gmail.com
