27th May 1999
THE owners of Stratford’s 1970s concrete shopping centre, Bell Court, were granted conditional planning permission last week to redevelop the site.
Members of Stratford District Council’s Avon area planning committee voted in favour of the scheme at their meeting on Thursday night. However, the owners of the centre, TBI plc – which has recently been bought by London and Regional – will still have to negotiate with council officers over a number of issues, including parking arrangements and contributions towards pedestrianisation.
The plans for Bell Court, which require all of the centre’s shop tenants to move out during the work, will smarten up the site, provide a glazed roof and additional retail space and a food court, better security and a refurbished car park.
mpu1
STRATFORD Conservatives suffered a shattering blow yesterday (Wednesday) when, despite their recent election victory, they failed to secure control of the district council.
Although there were more Tories than Liberal Democrats sitting in Elizabeth House’s council chamber for the first time in five years, yesterday’s vote saw Lib Dem leader Cllr Susan Juned (Alcester) elected as council leader over Conservative front man Cllr William McCarthy (Studley).
Chief executive Ian Prosser’s announcement to the council’s annual meeting that 30 out of 54 councillors voted for Lib Dem control revealed that Cllr McCarthy and his fellow party members had failed to gain support from anyone outside their own camp.
29th May 1964
SHIPSTON’S amenities are threatened by the projected closure of the Plaza Cinema.
Rising costs are the cause – the cinema, which Mr B T S Bosley acquired three years ago as a benevolent gesture after it had closed down, in order that the townspeople would still have a cinema, has become too expensive.
He has applied for permission to change its use to a storehouse, but this has been refused on the grounds of bad access.
mpu2
Mr Bosley expects to apply again to see if the cinema could be used for another purpose – he foresees no hope of keeping it open solely as a cinema and would like the town to take it over, take advantage of its cinema facilities and use it for other community purposes as well.
30th May 1924
EMPIRE Day was celebrated in Snitterfield schools when special lessons were given.
In the afternoon the scholars assembled in the large room, when, after an address by the headmaster, patriotic songs were sung, the Union Jack saluted.
On Saturday morning the local troop of Scouts and Cubs (under Scout mistress Miss Cave-Brown-Cave) and many of the school children assembled at the school and marched to the War Memorial, placing there wreaths and flowers. Miss Cave gave a brief address, but owing to the heavy downpour of rain the service which, had been planned, had to be abandoned.