Census Data for Tenbury Wells

	Tenbury Wells	London	UK
Avg. age:	44	40.1	39
Avg commute (miles):	11.7	6.3	8.7
Gender ratio (female / male):	1.04	1.04	1.05
Population in good health:	68%	71.5%	69%
Home ownership:	16.2%	17.3%	16.9%
Students:	1.8%	6.8%	4.4%

As usual Government statistics pose as many questions as they answer.

Tenbury has a slightly older than average population, but very few children of school age. This must mean that they have a higher than average number of "twentysomethings", but if I had been asked I would have guessed that we had a high number of over 60s and a low number of 20s.

No Way to Run a Business Park

The Bromyard Road Business Park, owned and managed by a complex partnership of MHDC, WCC & AWM, has for years suffered from a lack of investment.

The original concept of providing starter units for small companies has been totally lost by allowing up to 6 units to be used by one company.

The council claim that no other businesses have wanted to move onto the site, but numerous enquiries and requests have been rebuffed.

Once the ill conceived Biomass Plant scheme has been stopped, then we must pursue our elected representatives to allow this site to be properly developed with additional 'White Collar" accommodation built on plot 2 & 3, and additional proper small starter units built on plot 1.

Biomass Visit

Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire, met with Dr George Lord the leader of Worcestershire County Council, today at the proposed site of WCC sponsored Biomass Incineration plant.

The meeting was also attended by Cllr Bob Martin, Mayor of Tenbury & Cllr Reg Farmer, County Councillor.

Local opposition and general opinion has branded this site as inappropriate since the scheme was proposed earlier this year.

The project was initiated by WCC with sponsorship from AWM as a way to off-set their carbon emissions.

After the meeting, held at one of the premises where jobs are likely to be lost due to relocation if the scheme goes ahead, the group went on to visit a possible alternative site.

What's On? - Not a lot!

The web site of Malvern Hills District Council's very expensive (if you believe the budget) tourist information centre in Tenbury, reports that almost nothing is happening in Tenbury over the next few months except for some rather exclusive events for the well healed at our number one town centre posh eatery.

Do they only list the events at this one establishment, because it's the only one that proactively provides information, or is it because this is the establishment where visiting officials seems to be fed and watered!

Bah Humbug!

I know it's the season of goodwill, but really!

I am an ardent supporter of small post offices, but having queued for ages at the Teme Street PO (OK that's not their fault all the desk were open), I found that they had sold out of both Christmas Stamps and Self Adhesive stamps. Don't they know it's Christmas!

Seem to remember that very same thing happened last year. Are Christmas Stamps rationed, or do the Post Offices have to pay extra for them.

I did buy 40 or 50 stamps last month but they just got used up so I needed more.

River Teme, Floods again.

The residents of Tenbury Wells wait to see if they are to be flooded for a fourth time in six months. Its 142 days since the start of the last flood, and reports from Leintwardine say that the Teme was already at capacity at lunchtime on Saturday.

The situation at Tenbury at midday showed that the Teme still had several metres of capacity before the town was at risk.

Tenbury Wells gets two new water features.

Following the hours of torrential rain, field "run off" is once again swelling Kyre Brook.


Thanks to the work carried out by the Environment Agency, Kyre Brook is flowing much quicker than in recent times, however the drainage in Teme Street seems to be as inefficient as ever.

Slow response from WCC.

WCC staff have finally re-erected the safety barrier at the former Victorian Toilet site.

Although the task only took 10 minutes to perform, it took 7 days for the staff to arrive.

WCC, who are so quick to claim that actions have been carried out for 'Health & Safety' reasons, seem to have scant regard for maintaining things like safety barriers.

The barrier blew over last Friday night and was put up again this morning.

An inconvenient time to die (or be born)

For a number of years the WCC Registrars service has allowed the relatives of the recently deceased or the parents of new born children to register the event by appointment at the Pump Rooms in Tenbury Wells.

Since the flood in July 2007 this service has been suspended, so anyone needing to see a Registrar has had to travel to Worcester or Kidderminster.

Now we have a new WHUB in Tenbury surely there is no reason why this service cannot be reintroduced, or is this yet another case of a service being removed from Tenbury to save money.

Is Tenbury behind the times?

Time doesn't so much stand still in Tenbury, but it certainly lags behind. There may be a shiny new WHUB in Teme Street, but the large clock has shown the incorrect time for quite a while.

To ensure accuracy at all times the clock automatically updates using the Atomic time signal from Rugby. With the signal travelling at roughly 186,282 miles per second, the clock should by rights be correct.

I'm told that the clock will correct when it receives a pulse?

How often the clock checks for a pulse depends on the system installed. Usually once a second or once a minute. I doubt very much it is once a week or more!

Tenbury Closed for 6 months

At last nights Tenbury Town Council Meeting a representative from Worcester County Council delivered the devastating news, that the repairs to the wall in Market Street could not start until April at the earliest and would take at least six months to complete.

During this time, temporary traffic lights would be in operation and for some periods the road would be completely shut.
This news was met with complete condemnation and derision, from the full Council and members of the public alike.

The designer of the wall from Halcrow explained that they planned to build a brick faced, solid concrete wall 5' high. Pipes would be installed in the wall to allow any water to escape from the road into the brook, but non return valves would prevent water flowing from the brook into the road.

From the experience of a few days of traffic control earlier in the year when traffic queued back past the High School in the St Michaels direction and the Aspire Centre in the Ludlow direction, six months of control is likely to devastate the towns traders and drive residents to distraction.
My previous blog on this issue http://tenburywells.blogspot.com/2007/08/more-traffic-chaos-in-planning.html

It must be remembered that this problem was initially caused by poor planning and drains maintenance, even the pipes in the original wall were blocked. It was further exacerbated, by the way the toilets were demolished.

The Town Council delivered a very strong message that the plans were not acceptable and have asked the Project Team to think again.

Suggestions that I have received so far are:-

• Traders should be given Business Rate relief for the period of disruption as Trade will be affected as the Town WILL be gridlocked and be a regular feature on all traffic reports thus driving away many potential visitors.


• Diversion signs should start on the A49 just outside Leominster and on the A44 at Bromyard.


• The works schedule should be published and suitable gaps be left for delivery lorries.


• Any temporary traffic lights should be correctly installed with sensor phasing so that no green phases are offered to empty roads.


• The lights should only be used when work is in progress and removed at nights and at week end.


• Manual control should be implemented during the morning and evening peak periods.

Shropshire Star

Xmas Lights Fiasco - "Not our fault" say Council

At the Town Council meeting on Monday the 3rd December 2007 the Mayor explained, that the very poor Christmas Light display in Tenbury Wells is not the fault of Tenbury Town Council.

In previous years, a separate 'Lights Committee' was responsible for raising money and organising the Christmas display.

Unfortunately it was noted rather late in the day that this committee had disbanded and no-one had the responsibility for the provision of the lights.

If it hadn't been for the intervention of the Town Council and Malvern Hills District Council, no lights would have been erected this year.

Once a professional festival lights contractor had been appointed it was discovered that most of the lights used in previous years, some built on 5 bar gates, where unsafe, not fit for purpose or no longer suitable. The few lights that could be used have been erected.

Looking forward, fund raising will begin early in 2008, and new, modern, low energy use displays will be acquired for use next year to create a spectacular new show.

Other Links
Richard Burt

Mistletoe Festival

An unusual cast of characters assembled in Tenbury today for the Mistletoe Festival.


Queen Victoria graced us with her presence, and was said to be 'greatly amused'.

The Jacks of Frosts brought a shiver to the proceedings.

Matt Barnard, the 20 stone (his estimate) Christmas tree fairy, endangered us all with his knife juggling act whilst riding a unicycle.

More photos can be seen by following this link.

There is also a video, which due to technical problems (Operator incompetence) is only available on it side!