Meeting to discuss the future of local services

Shropshire Council yesterday met with town and parish councils from across the county to hear their views and help resolve concerns around the challenges if they were to take on council services identified at risk in the council’s budget.

Since the announcement of the revised financial strategy which indicated that the council has to save £61m by 2018/19, Shropshire Council have been in extensive discussions with town and parish councils to explain its financial challenges and to look at options to secure a sustainable future for local community-based services such as libraries, customer services, leisure centres, youth activities and museums.

The meeting, presented by Shropshire Council leader Malcolm Pate and Shropshire Council chief executive Clive Wright, was attended by the majority of town and parish councils and gave local councils the opportunity to voice their concerns and challenges.

Concerns raised included the pace and time within which the transition needed to be carried out, lack of financial information, the difficulties and challenges in raising income and council tax precepts and the risks involved in successfully maintaining and sustaining these services.

It was proposed and agreed that those parish and town councils who have not already come together could consider working together in clusters, with the view to meet again with the council in three to four weeks’ time with representatives from each cluster.

“Several town and parish councils have raised concerns over the pace and extent of changes proposed and we are listening and working with them to resolve these,” said Celia Motley, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for rural services and communities.

“Other councils are steaming ahead and taking advantage of opportunity to extend their service and the value they deliver to local communities.

“We know there is no one-size-fits-all solution and because town and parish councils are in different stages of development with taking on services we will need to agree different solutions that are fair to all.”

Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council’s deputy Cabinet member for town and parish councils said that the importance of local services is recognised but the simple truth is that Shropshire Council will not have the money to provide them.

“Shropshire Council will continue to collaborate and work together with our colleagues,” he said.

“We are not imposing the transfer of responsibility for local services on to town and parish councils, but do want to give those councils the opportunity to consider what could be possible in the future.

It was agreed that town and parish councils will confirm their ambition to take on services currently run by Shropshire Council and will produce a plan by September.