Teen beauty spot drinkers are ramblers, not rebels
- Dave Burrows
Facebook group takes on Shrewsbury centre residents
Tuesday 1st June 2010, 3:20PM BST.
A group has been set up on Facebook opposing Shrewsbury Town Centre Residents Association, claiming it does not represent the interests of most people in the town.
So far 475 people have signed up to the campaign which is called “Disenfranchised Shrewsbury Residents”
The group states its aims as to “counteract the appalling influence of the Town Centre Residents Association”.
The group, created by Shrewsbury resident Elliot Howells, objects to statements made by the influential pressure group opposing the number of tables outside a town centre wine bar and plans to remove noise restrictions in the Quarry for live music events.
The group has received a number of comments from people stating the residents association does not speak for them.
The page says: “This is a group purely for the purpose of counteracting the appalling influence of the Town Centre Residents Association.
“Have you lost out? Has your favourite venue been closed down for no good reason? Why are these people strangling the life out of our town? What on earth was the point of the Darwin sculpture?
“How about some live music played at a volume you can hear? Please join up, the sole purpose of this group is to try and give a voice to all us mere mortals who live in and around Shrewsbury and would very much like it to be full of verve and life and variety.”
A spokesman for Shrewsbury Town Centre Residents Association said they had decided not to comment.
Commenting on the group’s wall Chloe Evans said: “They may as well put up a new sign, Shrewsbury – Town of Flowers and Residential Home.”
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The spokesman for STCRA realise that the real residents of Shrewsbury have had enough of this small self-interested association.
Their website states they exist as a voice for ALL residents in Shrewsbury, they have been found out!
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[What on earth was the point of the Darwin sculpture?]
A brave and exciting piece of public art and an attempt to celebrate Darwin who could be perceived as a tourist attraction for the town.
Lets hope this new group do not end up being the new liberal group initially separate to the conservative TCRA group. In other words they start off claiming to be something different with a broader cultural ethos but then turn out to be exactly the same as the present TCRA with narrow-minded, buttoned up views and dislike of anything that can’t be easily understood or smacks of moderness.
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Encouraging as the setting up of this Facebook group is, I wonder whether it can achieve any more than simply proving what the vast majority of Shrewsbury residents already know i.e. that the views of the TCRA are not representative of town centre residents generally.
What may be more effective is the publishing on this group’s wall details of how to join the TCRA. Surely only then will the majority have a voice that will be listened to. I have to question whether manuy of the existing TCRA members have even heard of Facebook!
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Shrewsbury should have something for everyone. From the Flower show to Bands playing in the quarry. The Town should not be controlled by narrow-minded types that don’t like change. New business should be welcomed and the STCRA should be doing everything in their power to help them.
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Do not give TCRA any publicity they are going to kill our town.Lets have more use of the Quarry for events this this Town needs and less red tape.
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i guess the TCRA is open to all residents within the river loop at least, if the younger generation want to attend all the meetins and comment on all the planning applications etc why dont they join them?
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This has to be done in order to stop the few telling the majority what is and is not good for the town center. These people must stand up and be counted they pay their taxes and council taxes NO less than this other small self serving shower enough is enough I think .
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I have worked at concerts in The Quarry the last two years.The 80s concert in 2009 was a success some said “the best for a long time”.The Quarry is for everyone in Shrewsbury.
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Really good idea, we had the same kind of thing with TAWPA (Telford and Wrekin People Association) just a group of small minded people trying to be important. They have 4 Cllrs on Telford and Wrekin council, but people have had enough of them! keep these kind of village idiots out!
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STRCA have got about 268 members from 173 homes, are there only 173 home in the catchment area or do the have conditions of membership, ie you have to agree with us?
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This is a very strong issue and great that someone has actually decided to start a group and ultimately find a voice for the people of Shrewsbury who love the town, want to see tourism grow and want great events for them, their families and young people to go to. Shrewsbury is such a cultural town, why try and take some of the things that make Shrewsbury so great away? Gigs in the quarry were extremely well received and we should be encouraging more music events for especially for young people. Take too much away and problems can occur quite rapidly.
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A very good idea to get a larger view of the uses of town centre facilities. Just make sure that the group become proper consultees on planning,licensing, the arts etc. register with the councils concerned as a proper formed group and this will ensure proper consultation. At last we may get usage for the whole of the borough not just the town centre minority who want it just for themselves and their dogs!
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Over 800 members in just a couple of days. Makes the STCRA look like small fry now doesn’t it? Wonder if the council will take any notice or carry on ignoring the majority.
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Just in case anyone would like to contact the STCRA you are invited to contact them at info@stcra.org.uk
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So the organisers of the Facebook clique (sorry! Group!) are in favour of loud music but against a scuplture to commemorate Darwin?
Oooh! Can’t you just hear the scrape, scrape, scrape of their knuckles as they lope through the town?
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You seem like a quite a minority on this site Matt, maybe you should start up a residents association so you can be the unwanted voice of the majority
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Matt I think you have missed the point. The group is inclusive and trying to voice what seems to be a majority opinion of what they would like to see in Shrewsbury. It’s not just about live music but a voice for those that want more interesting events to bring in tourism and entertain locals. I think they respect those who are in favour of the Darwin Scuplture however they don’t have to like it (this doesn’t mean they are going to try and get it removed). As for the scrape scrape scrape of knuckles? I think you are very narrow minded to be making this comment, I’ve met the organisers who happen to be a hardworking, honest, kind and friendly family – how dare they have an opinion.
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And they also have zero sense of humour.
And although they can dish out criticism they seem to resent any going their way.
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Best you can come up with Matt? No they have a sense of humour however you are not funny. They can take criticism believe me but maybe constructive criticism would go down better? They also have the right to stick up for what they believe in and to reply my dear, as do you, as do I.
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Ask Dr Alan Shrank if he has a sense of humour..
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A valiant effort but I give it a couple of months before it dies.
The disenfranchised will figure out it takes a lot of time, effort, and planning to be effective. I’m guessing the communal fire in their belly will die down and they’ll return to taking individual pot-shots at the well organised STCRA.
Also be prepared for all the STCRA members to join your organisation so they can have some influence, good or bad, over what happens in your neighbourhoods. It goes both ways.
Disclaimer: I am not, and will not be, a member of either group, but am sympathetic to both causes. How’s that for fence-sitting?
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i just checked theres now more than 1,150 members on the facebook page!!! thats more than the entire population inside the river loop!!
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Matt,
a clique is exclusive by definition – I have made it VERY clear everyone is welcome to our group, so the polar opposite of a clique….
Why would we drag our knuckles through town exactly ? Although I don’t count myself amongst the intellectual elite, I’m certainly no troglodyte, in fact I’m just using the power of the internet to gather like-minded individuals (which I assume you’re not ?) and give us all a voice.
There are been many battles over the years and most of the good guys (those trying to do something creative) have lost, due largely to the well organised STCRA, small in number but disproportionately powerful. This group aims to balance out this negative influence and give the town the space to breath.
I’m not against a sculpture to commemorate Darwin, I just think that an over-priced concrete monster is irrelevant, there is a much much nicer bronze of Darwin in my doctors surgery, it’s got a nice lizard on it too.
Elliot.
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Elliot,great work.Just wondering why the stcra have reviewed planning applications for three premises outside the loop of the river? two in kingsland and one in meole.Is it right for an unelected body to have an imput on planning applications outside their nieghbourhood? please someone tell me why this isnt illegal
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by the way,matt,you really havn’t a clue,wake up.
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[I just think that an over-priced concrete monster is irrelevant, there is a much much nicer bronze of Darwin in my doctors surgery, it’s got a nice lizard on it too.]
Ah, sweet!
For your information Elliot, concrete was invented by the Romans. It has been used for many structures including bridges and buildings that are now protected by being listed. It is an engineering feat to create the complicated shapes of the Darwin Sculpture in concrete but it was felt that using aggregate from the quarried stone of Shropshire would be worthwhile and again another link with Darwin who studied geology.
The Victorians did not like concrete as it was seen as unrestrained, fluid and Pagan and they only let it be used if it was then cladded in stone as with the Liver building in Liverpool, a reinforced concrete building.
The Victorians did not like Darwins ideas much either so you can see there were interesting reasons why the controversial Sculpture is so apt.
I hope that your group will continue to take an interest in town planning matters. Much easier now it is on the internet.
Your voice matters as much as any other group so long as you make considered planning points which are often about design, a very subjective issue!
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Your all wasting your time moaning about this….
lets face it know one really gives a damm any more and facebook groups are not exactly an authority are they.
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I totally agree!
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its easy to get face book members on any page
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I am a town centre resident ie, I live in the centre of Shrewsbury not just within the river loop. I am an STCRA member and was in the past an officer and committee member. I left the committee of the STCRA because I believed that it was a pretty ineffective lobbying body and that it often reflected better the opinions of a small clique of committee members, rather than the residents of Shrewsbury town centre as a whole. I suspect this Facebook group will have similar failings. I suggest that those who write on this wall using alias names or Nom de Guerre should be ignored by all; just as are those who use the STCRA to hang on the resident population their own views. I suspect that the local authority have taken, and will take little account of the STCRA, which is why I left the committee, or of this group. However, the local authority will use any group to legitimise decisions already taken, often without any real consideration of the opinions of those most affected. Indeed, various local bodies are obliged to consult and include other groups within decision making circles. Another principle reason for my abandonment of the STCRA was their willingness to become a part of these statutory consultation processes. My reasoning was that they were legitimising decisions which were taken by the authorities before consultation began while weakening their rite to protest against them once implemented.
My suggestion to all who wish to support or condemn an action taken by those who govern us, or to lobby for a decision to be made or abandoned, is to write to the body concerned using your real name and address and to send a copy of the letter to the local press.
Finally, do not forget that the opinions of the STCRA represent a large number of residents; sometimes the majority, sometimes not. This Facebook group will, I suggest, represent little other than the opinions of those who use Facebook and visit the town centre for entertainment, not exactly representative of anybody either then!
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Interesting point Richard, but if the decisions are pre-determined (it would be VERY interesting if you had evidence to substantiate the idea) what is the point in writting a letter and copying it to x y or z. That action is just a whisper in the wind, destined to fade. Surely a roar even if brief, has far better chance of capturing attention.
I doubt very much the views of 268 members represents the views of the majority. Just the views of those of a small number with a vested interest in expressing their opinions.
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I WAS BORN & BRED IN LONDON BUT HOPEFULLY I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO SHREWSBURY ASAP BECAUSE MY FATHER WAS FROM CHURCH STRETTON & MY FAMILY HAVE LIVED IN & AROUND THE SHREWSBURY AREA FOR SOME 600 YEARS & I HAVE LIVED & VISITED SHREWSBURY MANY TIMES & ITS A FANTASTIC PLACE WHICH SHOULDNT BE DISTURBED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM SO PLEASE PLEASE LEAVE SHRESBURY AS IT IS THANK YOU.
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