WELSHAMPTON and Lyneal Parish Council is celebrating achieving the Quality Gold level of the national Local Council Award Scheme.

The Quality Gold standard is the highest level of the scheme and the parish council is the first local council in Shropshire to achieve it. The scheme exists to recognise excellence in governance, community engagement and continual council improvement.

The award was presented to the council’s chair councillor Andrew Haydon and clerk Carole Warner by Shropshire Council chairman Ann Hartley at Shropshire Council’s full council meeting on Thursday, May 16.

Ann Hartley said: “Although being a small parish council in the north of the county, Welshampton and Lyneal continually represent their community at all levels of government and Shropshire Council has been pleased to work them on many occasions.”

Councillor Andrew Haydon, chair of Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council, said: “I am delighted that the parish council’s efforts, its understanding of good governance, the desire for community engagement and on-going planning for the parish’s future has been recognised.

"I would especially like to thank and acknowledge our clerk, Carole Warner’s contribution as without her experience, professionalism and commitment to the council and the community we would not have attained this prestigious award.”

Clerk Carole Warner said: “Achieving this award recognises the effort and hard work put in over the years by everyone involved with the council.

"Without the backing of councillors who always support each other and look for ways to make a difference, we could not have reached Quality Gold. Every member of the council team has reason to be proud.”

Katrina Baker, MBE, president of Shropshire Association of Local Councils and chairman of the accreditation panel, said: “We congratulate Welshampton and Lyneal Parish Council in obtaining Quality Gold.

"They have worked so hard to achieve this award from being the first council in Shropshire to achieve quality standard, the middle level of the scheme, just over one year ago.”