Welcome to Tenbury - a walled town.

The flood alleviation scheme for Tenbury has been re-costed at £4M. This would see 80% of the Town's boundary enclosed by Walls and Embankments. The other 20% being already protected by the natural topography.

The officer from Malvern Hills District Council who gave an update to the Town Council tonight, also pointed out that although the scheme would be "fit for purpose" it was unlikely to be esthetically pleasing.

MHDC are making bids for various sums of money to help fund this project including a bid to Europe.

No Wheelie Bins for Tenbury

Tenbury Wells will not be getting Wheelie Bins for the foreseeable future.

Malvern Hills Council have recently undertaken a consultation exercise regarding waste collection and 87% of respondents want to maintain the status quo.

Recycling rates need to be improved, and it is hoped that by next April and once the new MRF at junction 7 starts operation, all recyclables can be put into a single sack and collected each week.

Rather than relying on prosecuting households that don't recycle, MHDC will target education at households that put out multiple black sacks on a regular basis.

Sorry saga of Market Street toilets continued.

Toilet site (click) the story so far.

The reconstruction of the 'unlucky' Market Street toilets has run into more problems.

It seems that a mistake by Quantity Surveyors early on in the project, meant that when the commercial tenders to construct the replacement toilets were opened, they were all at least 100% over budget. It seems that the original estimate obtained by MHDC was incorrect, and the project was too ambitious for the funds available.

Rather than reduce the quality of the build in this prominant position, it has now been decided to upgrade the Gents and Ladies toilets to accomodate additional equipment and do away with the Disabled toilet.

Quite how this decision will be met by Disabled campaigners remains to be seen. The following from a recent Mencap campaign.

Across the country, over 230,000 people need Changing Places toilets - with a changing bench, hoist, and space for a wheelchair and two carers. Without them, carers are often forced to change their family members on dirty toilet floors. This is unhygienic, degrading and undignified.

Recent Mencap advert (staring a Disabled Hereford actor)

It would seem to ask Disabled visitors to share facilities with the general public is a step in the wrong direction as Public toilets are nearly always in a less clean state than Disabled toilets.

The Burgage gets a face lift

The planting areas around the MHDC car park are finally being replanted to help welcome visitors to the town. (Paid for by ?, Probably by MHDC from Council Tax funds)


The remaining stumps left after the felling of the large trees surrounding the Bowling Greens are being ground down. (Paid for by the Town Council from the annual precept)

Work has started on the Sensory/Civic garden at the front of the Pavilion. (Paid for by Grant Aid from MHDC & Better Welcome)

Theatre Funding

By some quirk of numeric jiggery-pokery, the amount of Council Tax raised by MHDC in the Tenbury Ward exactly equals the amount they spend on subsidising the Malvern Theatre.

In defense MHDC, spend £65K subsidising the Tenbury Swimming Pool and will spend an additional £8.5k funding free swimming for the over 60s.

They spend £5k on Cafe 27, also grant aid the CAB and the Museum.

Last year they match funded the creation of the ill conceived Civic Garden and this year will fund a £40k improvement to the skate park.

This is in addition to their duties and planners, household refuse removers and suppliers of concessionary bus passes.

Anyone wishing to discuss these figures or any other MHDC business are invited to attend the District Councillors "surgery" held in the library building on the first Friday of the month.

MHDC offer help to ailing companies

Cllr Philip Grove, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development at Malvern Hills District Council has encouraged any companies in the Malvern Hills area facing financial problems to contact the Council, preferably before they need to call in the administrators.

He explained that whilst the Council does not have the funds to assist companies directly they can access a number of grants which may be enough to help companies continue trading.