Town is rated child-friendliest
Friday 20th April 2007, 11:22AM BST.
Oswestry is the top place in Shropshire to raise a family, while Telford & Wrekin is the worst, a national survey revealed today.
The market town was named the 34th best place for families in the list of 408 authorities, with Telford and Wrekin 307th and the county town of Shrewsbury ranking 210th.
Parents all over the UK were quizzed by a Reader’s Digest survey to find Britain’s most “kiddie-friendly” place.
Oswestry Borough Council’s customer services team leader Paul Newns said: “The survey confirms what the locals have always known – Oswestry is a wonderful place.”
North Shropshire came a creditable 48th. Ellesmere mayor Ann Hartley said: “We are very modest and don’t shout loud enough about all the qualities we have here.”
The mayor of Bridgnorth, Councillor Iain Seivewright, said he was not surprised Bridgnorth was 58th. He said: “Bridgnorth is a wonderful place to live, it’s a super town.”
After hearing Telford & Wrekin’s ranking, council leader Keith Austin cast doubt on whether comparisons could be done accurately.
“I am always suspicious of how they judge these lists as it can be like comparing apples with oranges.”
South Shropshire came 258th, and district council leader Heather Kidd said she wasn’t surprised.
She said: “When raising a family you want affordable housing, access to transport and services, which unfortunately are things that this district lacks.”
Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski said he was baffled by county town’s placing. He said: “Whoever did it must be blind. The best place to live in Shropshire is Shrewsbury and it’s the best place in England to live.”
Powys came in at a disappointing 242, but a spokesman for the county council said: “Usually in surveys of this kind the county shows a high level of satisfaction.”
LEAGUE TABLE SPOTS:
34…………………………………….Oswestry
48…………………………..North Shropshire
58…………………………………..Bridgnorth
210………………..Shrewsbury and Atcham
242……………………………………….Powys
258…………………………South Shropshire
307………………………….Telford & Wrekin
By Antonia Merola
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How sad that Telford & Wrekin should come last – thankfully our own children are now young adults but I pity those trying to bring up youngsters nowadays in the Teford & Wrekin Council area – there are no adequate playgrounds -with out drug dealers lurking around, little police presence to protect the children, and little response on anything related to families and youngsters from this Council – so shame on Mr Austin for not being honest enmough to admit the failings of his over paid and over bloated ” cabinet “.
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Well, Oswestry was a dump and I couldn’t wait to get out of there at 18. It’s a lot prettier now but I don’t see much evidence of anything that’d make me move back there with my child. He enjoys cinemas, theatres, ice skating and much more in the middle-sized city we now live in. Plus he’s growing up with friends from varied backgrounds, and he goes to an excellent state school, not a bog-standard comp.
So what *does* Oswestry have to offer?
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So Councillor Austin is “always suspicious of how they judge these lists” quite right too – a lot of voters are even more suspicious about his council being “the best performing local authority in the West Midlands”
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This is a clear demonstration of what this current administration has done to Telford.
The administration and the majority of the elected officials have lost contact with the residents creating a them and us scenarion.
This only partly proves that divide.
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Oddly enough, councillor Austin is NEVER suspicious of a list that puts Telford near the top. Why is that, I wonder?
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I have read the comments above and am of the mind that SOMETHING has to happen to get rid of this PROBABLY WELL OVER PAID ‘leader’ , I do not recall voting for him – and I am also curious – like Rob above – as to HOW this council got to be labelled “the best performing local authority in the West Midlands”
Perhaps his mate at Number 10 FIXED it for him ??
WHAT A JOKE !! but sadly we, the people of Telford & Wrekin are the ones being duped, I SAY VOTE THEM ALL OUT IN MAY
PEOPLE POWER WILL PREVAIL
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