Cllr Alex Wagner

10/08/2026

🚭 Good to see a problem v**e shop shut down on Castle Foregate – and plans to bring the building back into use.

The former tenants were reportedly evicted following Trading Standards raids and concerns about “improper activities”. Residents in the Castle Foregate and St Michael’s Street area had raised concerns with me about this property before, so it’s good to see action taken by the owners.

Crime and anti-social behaviour have been falling in Shrewsbury Town Centre, helped enormously by getting a police base back in town, but keeping our streets safe is a constant effort and we can’t be complacent.

I’ve now written to the Shropshire Council planning department to support plans to turn the vacant unit at 35–37 Castle Foregate into a new two-bedroom apartment.

As I said in my comments to planning, this is an ideal location for a new home – close to the railway station, shops and services, whether for a younger person wanting to rent or buy, or someone looking to downsize from a family home.

31/07/2026

🎭 Great to see work beginning on the improvements at Theatre Severn!

By increasing the number of seats from 650 to 714, we’ll be able to welcome more people to popular shows, attract bigger productions and bring more visitors into Shrewsbury.

For me, this is exactly the sort of investment we should be making. Rather than standing still, we’re investing in a successful asset to increase its earning potential. The improvements are expected to pay for themselves within three years through higher ticket sales and bigger productions.

Theatre Severn already generates a healthy surplus for Shropshire Council each year, helping to support other local services. Investing now to replace end-of-life seating means it can continue to grow, generate more income and support vital services across Shropshire for years to come.

The team do a fantastic job and make me very proud to have culture as a Cabinet responsibility. This is good news for both town and county, and a great example of investing wisely in a way that strengthens both our cultural offer and the Council’s finances.

04/07/2026

🎨 Congratulations to the fantastic Shrewsbury Arts Trail team on a wonderful private view at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery last night.

The Arts Trail is a brilliant celebration of the creativity, talent and imagination that makes our town and county so special. It’s a fantastic opportunity to discover the incredible creative community we have right on our doorstep, and runs until the end of August.

This year’s theme is impressions, and I enjoyed seeing people bringing to life a blank canvas but for an outline of the English Bridge — lovely idea.

We’re incredibly lucky to have such a vibrant arts scene here in Shrewsbury, and this year is an especially exciting one. If you get the chance, do explore the Arts Trail, support our talented local artists, and enjoy everything it has to offer. 🎭🖼️✨

03/07/2026

A real privilege to speak at the Shrewsbury Town Council Civic Reflection event beside the Knife Angel in The Square this evening.

The Mayor of Shrewsbury opened the event, with contributions from representatives and guests to reflect on the themes that the Knife Angel represents, including Community Responsibility, Compassion, Unity, Reflection and Action.

We also heard The Men From Off perform a superb and touching rendition of Sharp Blade, their original song inspired by Alfie Bradley’s creation of the sculpture.

Thank you to everyone who came along. Proof, if any was needed, of how public art is so important and can convey such powerful messages.

03/07/2026

Did you know you can access many local Shropshire Council services in-person? 🗣️

The absolutely amazing team at Shropshire Local operate out of the Guildhall, Frankwell every weekday, 9.30am to 5pm. They can help you access services including:

✅ Blue Badge Applications
✅ Concessionary Travel
✅ Council Tax support
✅ Housing Benefit
✅ Crisis Resilience Fund
✅ Welfare Support
✅ Housing Options
✅ Parking
✅ Waste

They’re also available in Ludlow Library every weekday (bar Thursday) at the same times, and Shropshire Local Mobile travels around the county on a roving rota to help residents solve problems.

For example, next week they’re all over the county:

Monday 6 July – Bridgnorth, Listley Street
Tuesday 7 July – Whitchurch, Whitchurch Library
Wednesday 8 July – Market Drayton, Festival Drayton Centre
Thursday 9 July - Oswestry Library, Arthur Street
Friday 10 July – Shifnal Library, Broadway

Visits to Bishop’s Castle, Highley, Albrighton and Broseley are also coming up soon.

I can’t praise the team enough for how hard they work, seeing thousands of residents and supporting people so professionally. If there’s something you need help with, they are a great port of call.

You can find their rolling schedule and learn more here: https://next.shropshire.gov.uk/customer-services/shropshire-local-mobile/

30/06/2026

The Shrewsbury Street Pastors and West Mercia Search & Rescue are amazing.

That’s why I was so pleased today to hand over £3,872 raised during my year as Mayor of Shrewsbury to support their incredible work. They made for truly wonderful mayoral charities.

Their dedication, professionalism and compassion make a real difference, and that has been especially clear during the recent heatwave, when volunteers have once again gone above and beyond to help keep people safe.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated, attended fundraising events or supported my mayoral year in any way. This was a real community effort, and together we’ve been able to give something back to two remarkable charities.

I’m also looking forward to supporting Cllr Bernie Bentick and his chosen mayoral charities over the coming year, and I know they’ll receive the same fantastic backing from the people of Shrewsbury.

30/06/2026

The Knife Angel is now in Shrewsbury, standing in The Square as a powerful reminder of the impact of knife crime and violence, but also of the importance of hope, education and communities coming together.

There are events, workshops and creative activities taking place alongside the sculpture, and I’d really encourage people to get involved.

A big part of this is the Knife Angel arts competition, open to children, young people and adults. Artwork, poetry and creative writing are all welcome, inspired by themes including hope, peace, kindness, community strength, safer futures and turning pain into positive action.

Entries need to be submitted to Shrewsbury Town Council by 31th August, with winners announced on 18th September.

You can submit your entry and find the full details here: https://www.shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk/knife-angel-competitions/

25/06/2026

💙 Helping local people with the cost of living.

While inflation has come down, many households are still feeling the pressure. Rising food prices, energy bills and housing costs continue to make life difficult for many families across Shrewsbury.

That’s why I’m really pleased Shrewsbury Town Council has committed £80,000 a year over the next three years to support four fantastic local charities and organisations:

💬 Citizens Advice Shropshire – debt, benefits, housing and welfare advice.

🌟 Little Stars – supporting families with young children through practical help and early intervention.

💡 Marches Energy Advice – helping households cut energy bills and improve energy efficiency.

🥫 Shrewsbury Food Hub – tackling food insecurity while reducing food waste.

Earlier this year I visited Little Stars with Cllr Teri Trickett- Bayston Hill and saw first-hand the incredible work they do. Like all four organisations, they’re making a real difference to people’s lives every day.

A huge thank you to everyone involved. Shrewsbury is fortunate to have such dedicated organisations supporting our community.

19/06/2026

This is very good!

Makes me think — what other patches of land in need of love could Shrewsbury Town Council and community groups do more with?

NEW BLOG POST.
You may have noticed an extra bit of colour in a corner of Belle Vue lately. Head to our website to read our latest Blog Post to find out more.

https://www.bellevueartsfestival.co.uk/post/the-green

‘A neglected Belle Vue pocket park is stepping back into the limelight after being shown some love by Belle Vue Arts Festival. The small grassy area known as The Green, which straddles space between Hereford Road and Upper Road, is being transformed into a riot of colour for the Festival. ‘It was felt by its neighbours to be ‘unloved’’ said Festival Chair Corinne Brown, ‘so we were asked by Shrewsbury Town Council to brighten things up a bit, and they donated some funding in support of that’.