News-in-brief from Draycott-In-The-Moors & District in mid February 2022
In this post we have news of…: anger about road changes / Malcolm Price retires / Oak Tree Farm vacancy / community artwork at library / council tax
For news of an Ed Sheeran tribute night and other happenings in our area, please go to our What’s On page
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Residents’ anger
As we’ve been reporting, new plans for the areas of road at the Cresswell Lane-Uttoxeter Rd junction and at central Cresswell have now been submitted to the authorities, and will come up for decision soon.
These works must compulsorily be paid for by the housing developers Scentarea, as an integral part of their project to build a large industrial estate on the business park site.
For full details of the plans and how they might affect residents, click here.

Residents in central Cresswell are particularly angry about the plans for their bit because they are a significant downgrade on what they’d been assured would happen five years ago. A small group has been holding meetings in the Cresswell lay-by (where the works will happen) to discuss strategy.
(It’s a shame to have to say that, out of the nine local councillors who represent this district, only two have attended these meetings. When you consider that these works will be the biggest infrastructure change to the district for forty years, one might have expected a bigger turn-out from councillors).
Anyway, councillors Pete Wilkinson and Glyn Johnson did make the effort to turn up to the meetings, and, thanks to Pete, the planning authorities have agreed to postpone their decision by a fortnight, which gives everyone a bit more chance to air the issues.
In fact, a number of official letters of complaint have already been lodged with the planning authority. (For the letters, click here, and then scroll down to the bottom of that page to read them). A particularly detailed one from resident Michelle Steele sums up the issues pretty well…!
The next discussion of the plans will come at the next Draycott council meeting on Monday 14th Feb.
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Council tax
Talking of Draycott council, earlier this month the members debated what amount of money would be needed for its activities in the forthcoming financial year. This amount then translates into the annual ‘precept’ (i.e. the council’s council tax demand).
The council decided on a 2% tax increase, which includes an award to the clerk of the council of a 4% raise in wages.
What we’d like to see as part of this process is some sort of plan for the coming twelve months on how this money is to be spent – the projects in the pipeline, a note of the major issues the council will be addressing and so on. Some councils even do five-year plans, but we don’t expect miracles…
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Farewell Malcolm
A familiar figure round the village is Malcolm Price, the official litter-picker. You’ll see him walking the pavements gathering MacDonald’s cartons, plastic bottles etc that have been chucked on the floor by careless citizens. Blue bin bags, full to the brim and waiting for pick-up, are usually a sign he has been by.
Well, Malcolm has decided the time is right to retire. At the age of 79, he feels that crossing and re-crossing the busy roads of Draycott is just too risky.
So… happy retirement, Malcolm…!
(If you’re wondering what’s happening about litter in the interim, it’s lovely to report that a mother & child volunteer team has stepped forward temporarily, as part of a Duke Of Edinburgh Scheme project).
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Artwork lights
If you haven’t been along recently to our local library in Blythe Bridge, it’s worth the trip, just to see its new community artwork (see pic below)

Consisting of twenty or so lampshades with a total of 300 panels stitched into them, the whole thing was made by community groups at the library over the last six months. Each panel in the lamp-shades tells a story from the history of the district, from the railways to factories to famous events.
Draycottians will notice a special Blythe Colours Works panel and a Draycott Fayre panel.
Best time to see it is toward dusk, when the panels really shine brightly.
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Oak Tree expands
Finally, if you’re looking for a straightforward job where you can do a bit of good too, a vacancy for a cook has come up in the Oak Tree Farm Project’s public tea-room, which is about to re-open soon.
The farm, which lies about two miles south of Cresswell, is well known for its work with people with learning disabilities. On the farm the participants learn crafts, do gardening, and help in the tea-room and in the plants & crafts shop.
During Covid, the project even managed to expand by developing its shop on to a new part of the site.
If you do ever fancy a drive out, it’s a calming place to go. Recommended!
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