Three Shropshire register offices saved from closure
Three Shropshire register offices have been saved from closure. A decision to keep the register offices in Bishop's Castle, Church Stretton and Wem was rubber-stamped behind closed doors by Shropshire Council yesterday.
It means a service will be retained in all three towns. An appointment-only service will be available once a week at each office instead of the current arrangement, which sees each office open twice a week.
All three offices had been under threat of closure in a bid to save Shropshire Council £50,000. But the new arrangements have been approved by Councillor Karen Calder, Shropshire Council's portfolio holder for health and wellbeing.
Hours at Ludlow's office were due to be cut from 20 to 12, but a less drastic reduction has now been agreed at 16 hours.
While hours have been reduced at all four offices, residents will be spared long journeys from rural areas to register the death of a loved one.
The plan had been met with joy and relief from local councillors in anticipation of yesterday's agreement.
Councillor Calder said: "The proposal put forward provides for the continuation of a local registration service, whilst meeting savings objectives, and also delivers Shropshire Council's statutory obligations in a way in which meets the needs of the residents of Shropshire."
Opening hours at the offices in Bridgnorth, Oswestry, Market Drayton and Whitchurch, which were originally to be boosted to compensate for the closing or reduction in hours of the other offices, will remain the same.
