As you are aware, a general election will be held on Thursday 4 July 2024. Below is some important information that I hope will be of interest to you.

This information can also be found on the council’s website, Go to https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/elections-and-electoral-registration/voting-and-elections/general-election-4-july-2024/

If you have any questions please email the Shropshire Council elections team – elections@shropshire.gov.uk

Polling stations

As always, people will be able to find their polling station on their poll card. A list of polling stations will also be published on the above webpage after Friday 7 June.

Candidates

A list of candidates – the statement of persons nominated - for the four  constituencies will be added to the council website before 5pm on Friday 8 June.

Registering to vote

To vote in this election people must be registered to vote. The deadline for registering to vote is midnight on Tuesday 18 June. To register go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Voter ID

To vote at a polling station people will need an accepted form of photo ID. To see what ID is accepted – and to apply for free ID (known as a Voter Authority Certificate or VAC) visit the Electoral Commission website.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) is 5pm on Tuesday 26 June, but we encourage people to apply as soon as they can. Note: If someone already have a VAC they don’t need to apply for a new one.

Voters will need to show original documents at the polling station; copies or duplicates won’t be accepted.

Postal votes

The deadline for applying for a postal vote is 5pm on Wednesday 19 June. To apply for a postal vote visit the Electoral Commission website.

It’s no longer possible to simply drop off a completed postal vote pack at Shirehall or at polling station, An appropriate form must also be completed.

Proxy voting

The deadline for applying for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June. To apply for a proxy vote visit the Electoral Commission website.

Overseas voter registration

British and eligible Irish citizens living overseas can now register to vote in UK general elections no matter how long ago they left or were last registered. There’s no longer a 15-year limit. They’ll be registered at the constituency where they were last registered to vote, or where they lived if they weren’t registered.

For more information, visit the Electoral Commission website.

Pontesbury Parish Council is looking for a new Councillor for the Pontesbury ward

• Do you care about our local area?

• Would you like to work with others to get things done?

Become a parish councillor – be part of the change!

For more information contact the Clerk clerk@pontesburypc.org.uk/   01691 661157 or look at the links to further information below

Applications to be in by Friday 31st May 2024.  Co-option to take place at the council meeting on Monday 10th June 2024, Cruckton Village Hall,  7.30pm

Pontesbury Parish Council Notice

Pontesbury traffic calming measures – public meeting planned for Monday 15^th January

Please note that this meeting has been POSTPONED due to unavoidable circumstances

Information regarding a new meeting date will be advertised shortly

On 7 September Pontesbury Parish Neighbourhood Plan was approved by the Referendum Vote in which over 85% of the 491 voters supported the Plan. Following the declaration of the result the Plan is now in operation.  This means that when future planning applications for development in Pontesbury Parish are decided, the Plan policies will be taken into account. Given that the finished Plan was based on extensive consultations with hundreds of local people, it means that the Pontesbury parish community will have a greater say than ever before, in shaping and helping to decide future development. Change is inevitable, but  the core purpose of the Neighbourhood Plan is to ensure any development fits in with the character of our parish.

So far, only a handful of  Shropshire's parishes have a completed  Neighbourhood Plan.  The Pontesbury Parish Neighbourhood Plan will sit alongside Shropshire's Local Plan which is the most important material planning concern for deciding planning applications for future development. This means that residents should consult the Plan when submitting planning applications or when commenting on other applications in our parish.

The Plan has already been drawn upon to influence design in forthcoming applications and the adoption of the Plan means that our parish will gain a considerable increase in CIL money to spend on improving infrastructure. 

Whilst some voters  were concerned with some aspects or omissions in the Plan, it should be borne in mind that no policies could be included which duplicated Shropshire Local Plan and some much desired local changes do not come within the remit of Neighbourhood Plans.

The Steering Group thanks the many hundreds of respondents who have helped to shape the Plan and who took the time to vote.