Latest news with #MarketDrayton
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Prisoners get a lie-in as quarry construction forced to start later
Prisoners have been guaranteed their weekend lie-in as a Lib Dem-led council approved quarry works, provided construction starts after 9am. Bosses at HMP Stoke Heath in Shropshire convinced Grundon Sand & Gravel to start work late on Saturdays so they don't disturb inmates' 'quality of life'. Prisoners at the category C jail are allowed to lie-in beyond 7.30am on a Saturday and governors were worried the noisy blasting work would disrupt their sleep. Shropshire council approved the plans after adjustments were made to the application, including limiting its operating hours. The prison had objected to the original proposals after the firm applied for permission to extend its quarry in Tern Hill, Market Drayton, Shropshire, last August. Cushman & Wakefield, on behalf of HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) wrote: 'HMPPS have particular concerns regarding the proposed hours of working on Saturdays where operations are expected to take place from 7am – 1pm. 'From Monday to Friday, prisoners are woken up at 7.30am for activities at the establishment, which include the employment opportunities that some of the prisoners are involved in. 'On Saturdays, prisoners are permitted to sleep in beyond 7.30am. 'HMPPS are therefore concerned that prisoners are likely to experience some level of disruption to their sleep from the operations taking place on Saturdays from 7am, and this could potentially impact their amenity and quality of life.' Construction plans predict the extraction of about 1.2 million tonnes of sand and gravel from the site over a period of 15 years at a rate of around 80,000 tonnes each year. It also outlined plans to use the site as a solar farm while quarrying is underway, partly to provide power for the site, but also to supply electricity back to the grid. The proposal was put before Shropshire Council's northern planning committee this week, where councillors voted unanimously to grant planning permission. As a result of HMPPS concerns, the quarry will be unable to operate before 9am on Saturdays, with no operations taking place on Sunday. Approving the plan, the local planning officer said: 'The potential impacts on the local area, which includes an RAF facility, a young offenders institution and dwellings, can be mitigated and minimised to an acceptable level through site management controls which can be secured by planning conditions. 'There would be some impacts on the local area due to the nature of the proposal, such as from the visibility of the operation and additional traffic levels. 'However, it is considered that these would be mitigated to an acceptable level when balanced against the benefits of the proposal. 'These benefits include the creation of five full-time jobs directly, with a further six part-time indirect positions, a significant level of biodiversity net gain, and the provision of renewable energy from solar panels.'
BBC News
03-07-2025
- BBC News
Murder charge after man found dead at HMP Stoke Heath
A prisoner in Shropshire has been charged with murder after an inmate was found dead in his Mercia Police said a man in his 40s was found dead at HMP Stoke Heath, near Market Drayton, at about 07:40 BST on force said Jonathan Alcide, 26, of HMP Stoke Heath, had been charged with murder and remained in police is due to appear at Telford Magistrates' Court on Thursday. HMP Stoke Heath is a men's Category C prison that houses nearly 800 inmates. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- BBC News
Murder arrest over HMP Stoke Heath prison inmate death
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a prison Mercia Police said a man in his 40s was found dead in his cell at HMP Stoke Heath near Market Drayton, Shropshire, at about 07:40 BST on 26-year-old who was arrested was also an inmate at the Category C prison and young offenders institution, the force Carl Moore added their investigation had begun to try to work out the "full circumstances of his death". Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Campaign to promote Market Drayton gets under way
An initiative to promote a Shropshire town and help its businesses has said it wants to bring people closer it Market Drayton is due to launch on Thursday evening with an event for local McCabe, who is leading the campaign, said she felt the town had a lot to offer, but it was sometimes hard to find out what was going on and businesses did not always talk with each other."[The project is] just really about bringing businesses together, supporting each other and just sharing how great the town is," she said. Ms McCabe, who ran a similar initiative to help Wem, started planning the Market Drayton campaign in February by walking around the town and getting to know said it was a "vibrant" place, which "just has so much" to conceded, though, that traders were often "busy building their own business", so sparing time to meet up was meetings offered the chance to confer over how the town's trade could grow, she first networking event is fully booked, but future events are planned, including one for voluntary groups, plus a community event in July. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
09-06-2025
- BBC News
Market Drayton church targeted in arson attack
Firefighters have put out a fire at a church that appeared to have been started Fire and Rescue Service said it arrived at St Mary's Church in Market Drayton at 07:51 BST on Monday to find a large oak door was alight and the fire was in danger of spreading to curtains and wooden roof said the building was heavily smoke-logged inside and the door was badly Mercia Police is now carrying out further investigations. Craig Jackson, from the fire service, said investigators wanted to hear about anyone seen near the building between 22:30 on Sunday and 08:00 on Monday. The fire service said the smoke inside the church meant firefighters had to go in wearing breathing apparatus and relying on a thermal imaging the fire was extinguished, a large fan was used to clear the smoke. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
