Pant
Have Your Say: Almost 100 new houses proposed for Pant and Llanymynech
As part of its Local Plan Review, Shropshire County Council has launched its Preferred Sites Consultation outlining proposals for new housing developments across the county, including 95 new houses in Pant and Llanymynech.
The consultation sets out the preferred sites to deliver the scale and distribution of housing and employment growth during the period to 2036.
In Pant, a parcel of land along the main A483, to the north of the village, backing on to Penygarreg Lane, has been identified as the proposed site for 45 houses. In Llanymynech, land to the east of Barley Meadows has been earmarked for 50 houses.
The site in Pant is currently agricultural land and, as the consultation document acknowledges, faces a number of constraints as a location for housing development, such as water pressure issues, protected species and the local historic environment. Access to the A483, managed by Highways England, is also likely to be an issue, as 45 new houses is certain to see an increase in traffic.
The site in Llanymynech faces the challenges of existing accessibility issues along Station Road, where it is already congested with a weight-restricted bridge over the former railway line, as well as protected species issues and the local historic environment.
The consultation allows local people, businesses and other interested groups to have their say on these major proposals, and responses are invited in the form of a questionnaire via the Shropshire Council website: https://shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/local-plan-review-preferred-sites-consultation/. The deadline for responses to the consultation has been extended to Friday 8 February 2019.
The full consultation document can be found here: https://shropshire.gov.uk/media/11266/00-preferred-sites-consultation-full-document.pdf. The Oswestry Place Plan Area document, which also includes plans for Kinnerley, Knockin and other local communities, can be found here: https://shropshire.gov.uk/media/11252/15-preferred-sites-consultation-oswestry-place-plan-area.pdf.
A consultation event for the Oswestry area is due to take place at The Marches School at 7pm on Tuesday 15th January 2019. This is a public meeting which anyone can attend and, as well as providing the opportunity to find out more about the housing plans for our villages, which will affect the future development of our communities, will allow local people to have their say.
This meeting will then be followed up with a discussion at the Llanymynech and Pant Parish Council meeting to be held on Thursday 24th January at 7.15 after which the Parish Council will prepare a response . This meeting will be held at Llanymynech Village Hall and there will be a short time for the public to ask questions.
Season’s Greetings 2018
The year is drawing to its close and we would like to wish all residents and visitors to Pant a very festive Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We hope 2018 has been kind to you and your family and friends and that you have enjoyed support from fellow villagers.
We know of a number of people who are no longer with us in our community and others have moved away. We’d like to welcome all the new people who are now part of the village.
There have been big changes at Pant Memorial Hall, with the entrance hall having been refurbished, resulting in a robust and cleaner looking entrance to this village institution. The Hall has invested in other improvements in this year, which saw the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.
As the year draws to its end, the Hall committee is waiting to hear if it will be able to start work on a new sculpture outside the hall. We will keep you posted.
Talking about the hall. Pant Autumn Bazaar was back in October, which everyone agrees saw an increase in visitors as well as more money being raised for the vital upkeep of the hall. Keep up to date with the hall at www.pantmemorialhall.org.uk.
As we noted last year, work is ongoing to reopen the Montgomery Canal through Pant to join up with the water at Llanymynech. If you have been to Crickheath recently, you will have no doubt seen the massive effort that has taken place there to recreate Crickheath Wharf. An important milestone in the efforts to extend the navigable section of the canal, in that it will provide a turning area for boats. More information and ways to help are here – www.restorethemontgomerycanal.uk.
Pant.Today aims to enable communication between local people and we have continued to list local events on the website to help encourage attendance. We continue to offer a platform for people to list items for sale and to promote their business to local people. More details are available here.
May we wish you a Happy Christmas, Happy New Year and Season’s Greetings to all!
New film showcases Montgomery Canal restoration
After months of filming on the Montgomery Canal, Canal and River Trust are delighted to release “Life on the Monty”, a short film that celebrates the heritage, wildlife and people who make this beautiful canal so special.
The Montgomery Canal still needs restoration, this water is only from the rain.
The film also includes archive footage of the original restoration from 1969, to celebrate the role of volunteers in its resurrection, and a chance to see The Prince of Wales re-opening the canal at Welshpool.
Sylvia Edwards, Montgomery Canal Community Development Officer, says: “The making of the film brought together various generations who wanted to tell the wider world how special this canal is: its unique environment, the amazing work done by past and current volunteers, the fun that it provides to young people and their families, and how everyone can enjoy its beautiful and peaceful surroundings.
“You can watch the Life on the Monty trailer at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/montgomery, where you will also find a link to the film itself. Feel free to click on the heart-shape button, top right hand side, to “ like it”, and don’t forget to share it with your networks.”
Life on the Monty was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the restoration of the Montgomery canal in Shropshire.
If you would like to support the wider restoration effort of the Montgomery canal, go to http://restorethemontgomerycanal.uk.
Pant remembers the past and looks to the future
Villagers in Pant came together at Pant Memorial Hall for its annual Act of Remembrance on Saturday 10th November.
At a moving event in Pant Memorial Hall, villagers gathered, as they do every year, to remember and read out the names of the dead from two World Wars.
This year, the service was even more poignant as it marked 100 years since the Armistice which saw the end of the First World War.
The Memorial Hall in Pant is the village war memorial and was built in 1922 as a permanent reminder of the fallen. Originally, it held a World War I roll of honour, which was lost over 30 years ago. But thanks to an appeal in the local press, John H. Davies of Crickheath donated a printed version that has hung in his house for almost 100 years.
The Remembrance Service was followed by an ‘official opening’ of the newly refurbished entrance hallway. The committee at Pant Memorial Hall recently received a grant of £9,500 from the National Lottery to help pay for the renovation work. The floor of the entrance hall, which had been in place for over 30 years, was badly affected by woodworm and needed to be completely replaced. Part of the money was also used to improve disabled access by building an access ramp from one of the fire exits.
Pant Memorial Hall committee at the reopening of the hall following major renovation work to the entrance hallway, which was partly funded by a National Lottery grant.
Shaun Fisher, Treasurer of Pant Memorial Hall, said: “As our village hall is a memorial to the memory of those villagers that didn’t come back from war, the hall committee is determined to keep it well maintained and up-to-date. That’s why we have invested £10,000 of the hall’s own money in the hallway refurbishment, as a fitting tribute to all fallen soldiers.
“The hall is a vital asset for the village, which has served the community for almost 100 years, and offers a wide range of classes for local people, as well as providing a popular venue for parties and get-togethers. Thanks to the National Lottery funding, we have been able to modernise the entrance hall so we can carry on for many more years.”
Visit www.pantmemorialhall.org.uk or find out more on Facebook @PantMemorialHall.
Could trains come back to Pant and Llanymynech?
Recently, there have been some press reports about the possibility of reopening the railway between Welshpool and Gobowen.
Before the Beeching cuts, the line linked Pant and Llanymynech – as well as Llynclys – to Gobowen, Welshpool and beyond. Now, there are calls for a feasibility study to be commissioned to build the case and assess the viability of reopening the old line.
Could Pant once again get a train station thanks to the Welsh Government?
In this piece for Pant.Today, Helen Mary Jones, Plaid Cymru AM for Mid and West Wales, outlines the case for a reopening of the old line between Welshpool and Gobowen.
Helen Mary Jones AM
“More than half a century after its closure, the line from Welshpool to Gobowen remains unused and relatively free from development. It poses a clear opportunity for the Welsh and UK Governments to improve the public transport network, and create more prosperity in the region.
Aside from the economic and environmental benefits which would come with such a project, this line would greatly assist those in need of regular access to both Gobowen Hospital and the Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
This could be part of the Mid Wales Growth Deal or a broader Welsh transport strategy, these links would provide a much-needed lifeline to people living in the area who need access to important healthcare services. I am campaigning with my Plaid Cymru colleague on Powys Council, Councillor Elwyn Vaughan, for a study into the reopening of the rail line.
This is a key issue when public transport is a lifeline for so many people in Wales, some of whom live with no access to a car as a means of transport, they are left reliant on the public transport network for all of their travel.
A switch to better rail links would cut congestion and pollution on our roads. The Labour led Welsh Government should improve rail links, such as this one, to update the antiquated transport system. We also need the UK Government in London to provide much needed funds to boost our rail links.
We have seen the possibilities available if we re-establish the rail link between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen, following the publication of a technical feasibility study. This study was supported by Plaid Cymru.
That report has published a route and costings for the plan as well as an outline of the environmental and economic challenges to be overcome, including a cost of £775 million.
To build a better connected Wales it would be good to have a similar study for the Welshpool to Gobowen line.”
Pant remembers…
Pant Memorial Hall is holding an Act of Remembrance on Saturday 10th November to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice.
Pant Memorial Hall is the village war memorial and every year an act of remembrance is held to honour those who served in the First World War in the village and beyond, as well as those who have suffered and died in all wars.
The short informal service starts at 7pm and will include a wreath laying and The Last Post as well as hymns and readings. It will be followed by a toast to the reopening of the hall following major renovation work to the entrance hallway, as well as improved disabled access, with thanks to the National Lottery. The event will conclude with a singalong of war-time and other popular songs.
Pant Memorial Institute was built in 1922 and originally held a World War I roll of honour. The current memorial tablet in the hall, which commemorates those from Pant who dies in World War II, was originally in the United Reformed Chapel in Pant. When the chapel closed in 2004, the plaque was moved to the hall and re-dedicated in its new home. It now forms the centrepiece of the annual remembrance ceremony in Pant.
Earlier this year, Pant Memorial Hall received a grant of £9,500 from the National Lottery to help pay for the refurbishment of the entrance hallway. The floor of the entrance hall, which had been in place for over 30 years, was badly affected by woodworm and needed to be completely replaced. Part of the money was also used to improve disabled access by building an access ramp from one of the fire exits.
Shaun Fisher, Treasurer of Pant Memorial Hall, said: “Our annual Act of Remembrance is a focal point for the village every year, taking place as it does at Pant’s war memorial. We hope local people will take the time to come along to remember those who have suffered in war, but especially those who died in the First World War, in this the 100th anniversary year of the Armistice.
“We are also taking this opportunity to toast the reopening of the hall after some major repair work, which was made possible with thanks to a National Lottery grant that covered approximately half the cost. Without this support, and the work of hall volunteers and local people to raise additional funds, for example through our annual Autumn Bazaar, it would have been a huge task to fund this work.
“The hall is a vital asset for the village, which has served the community for almost 100 years, and offers a wide range of classes for local people, as well as providing a popular venue for parties and get-togethers. Thanks to the National Lottery funding, we have been able to modernise the entrance hall so we carry on for many more years.”
Visit www.pantmemorialhall.org.uk or find out more on Facebook @PantMemorialHall.
New hallway coming to Pant Memorial Hall
Work is taking place at Pant Memorial Hall to remove the wooden flooring in the entrance hall and replace it with a solid floor.
Thanks to the award of a Big Lottery Fund grant of £9,500, work on the hallway, as well as a new wheelchair-accessible ramp from the fire exit, can now start, with the balance of the costs being met from hall funds.
The floor in the entrance hall and two store rooms will be removed and the void filled in with hardcore and concrete with a layer of insulation, which should help keep the entrance to the hall warmer in the winter.
During the works – from Monday 20th August to Friday 7th September – the hall is completely closed, with no public access.
After that date, it is possible that there will a period when the hallway is untiled, as the concrete needs time to dry out completely before tiling can start.
Over the past couple of years or so, the committee at the hall have been focusing on investing in the hall to ensure it remains a well-maintained space for villagers to hold and attend events. As well as the hallway improvements and fire escape access for disabled people, recent work has included updating the emergency lighting and installing a fire alarm.
According to Shaun Fisher, Treasurer at the hall, there are plans to further update the hall, subject to finance, including repainting and improving the bar area.
“As a community asset, it is important that we regularly invest in the hall to ensure it meets the needs of the community,” he said.
Villagers will have a chance to see the progress of the hallway refurbishment at this year’s Pant Autumn Bazaar which takes place in the hall on Saturday 6th October from 2 – 4pm.
Montgomery Canal Photography – call for entries
Montgomery Canal Photography – Call for entries
Open now until 15 August 2018
Following on from the huge success of last year’s exhibition, the Canal and River Trust are inviting you to enter your most interesting shots of the Montgomery canal, its wildlife and heritage.
This call for entries is open to everyone, and will help Canal & River trust create a touring exhibition, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which will go on display this Autumn/ Winter in the main towns along the canal.
At the launch event, which will be advertised from early September on https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/events, visitors will be invited to select their favourite photographs. These will be used to create merchandise which will be sold by The Friends of the Montgomery Canal to help with the wider restoration effort.
Please submit your two best/ most interesting photographs of this wonderful canal to Steve@nearlywild.org by 15th August 2018. Only send good resolution photographs. No hard copy accepted.
Please note, by entering, you are aware that there are no prizes or payment, and you are agreeing to the photographs you submit being used by Canal and River Trust for both the exhibition and to promote the restoration work of the Montgomery canal.
It’s summer, but not too early to think about Pant Autumn Bazaar!
It might be hot at the moment, but it’s time to start thinking about Pant Autumn Bazaar.
Yes, we know it is only just summer, but volunteers are already being sought to build on the success of last year’s Pant Autumn Bazaar.
Organised by Pant Memorial Hall, the Bazaar is now in it’s fourth year and aims to bring local people together in the village hall while raising vital funds for the upkeep of the hall.
Everyone in the village is welcome to become part of the organising group for the Bazaar – you don’t need to be a regular hall user – so that all views and ideas are represented.
The first meeting will be held in Pant Memorial Hall at 7pm on Tuesday 24th July and new ideas for activities during the Bazaar will be most welcome.
In previous years, the Bazaar – which takes place on the first Saturday afternoon in October – has featured a range of local stalls selling items from local honey to soap and plants, a tombola to raise funds for the hall and tea and cake. This year, the hall committee is keen that villagers let them know of any suggestions that will improve the event further.
Said Shaun Fisher, treasurer at the hall: “Over the past couple of years we have been investing in the hall to improve it for villagers and the Autumn Bazaar is a major fundraising activity that helps us keep it going. We are looking forward to putting on another successful event and to welcoming as many villagers as possible.”
If you want to attend the planning meeting, there’s no need to book, just turn up to find out more and see how you can contribute.
Once plans for the Bazaar have been finalised, you will be able to find details on the Pant Today website as well as at www.pantmemorialhall.org.uk.
Pant Memorial Hall celebrates £9,500 in National Lottery funding
Pant Memorial Hall has received a £9,500 grant from the National Lottery for essential maintenance work and to improve disabled access.
The latest round of National Lottery funding, which has just been announced, sees over 2,300 community projects across the UK receiving a share of over £45 million. The money, raised by players for good causes, is being distributed by the Big Lottery Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
Pant Memorial Hall is our popular village hall which also serves as the village war memorial, built as it was to commemorate the service and sacrifice of those who did not return in World War One. It is a registered charity run by volunteers for the community.
The funding will be used by the hall to help pay for the refurbishment of the entrance hallway. The floor of the entrance hall, which has been in place for over 30 years, is affected by woodworm and needs to be completely replaced. Part of the money will also be used to improve disabled access to the hall by building a ramp from one of the fire exits.
Shaun Fisher, Treasurer of Pant Memorial Hall, said: “This is great news for the village! Pant Memorial Hall has served the community of Pant for almost 100 years and we’re now at the stage where some major repair work needs to be done to the hallway. The National Lottery funding will help us to pay for this major undertaking and will also enable us to improve disabled access.
“The hall is a vital asset for the community offering a wide range of classes to local people as well as providing a popular venue for parties and get-togethers. The National Lottery funding will, we hope, help us to carry on for many more years.”
James Harcourt, England Grant Making Director at the Big Lottery Fund, said: “Whether in a village, town or city, National Lottery funding is helping to make a difference, bringing communities together to help people lead happier and healthier lives.”
To find out about the Big Lottery Fund and the latest round of National Lottery funding, click here. For more about Pant Memorial Hall visit www.pantmemorialhall.org.uk.
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