Letter: Swimming cutback is welcomed

Letter: I see from the Star front page headline (June 18), that one very positive side effect of the Government's cutback in funding to local authorities is that Shropshire Council is being forced to withdraw its free swimming "perk" for children and pensioners.

Entitlement to this scheme was not means tested, so many well off pensioners and children with middle income parents were entitled to use this facility free of charge, with us local mugs (sorry, council tax payers) picking up the tab. The ruling Tory administration at the council should be ashamed of such policies.

No wonder Laura Rowley (Director of Resources) is quoted as saying that the scheme was, ". . . one of the most popular things that the authority had ever introduced. . ." That comes as no surprise, Laura.

What next? Free food for all at the council's canteen?

Likewise when she advises that the council had also ". . . pumped its own money into the scheme. . . " she, of all people, should understand that it's not Shropshire Council's money that's being given away, this money belongs to the hard-working council tax payers of Shropshire and should be spent more frugally.

I hope that other side effects result in Shropshire Council being forced to reduce more of its hare-brained schemes, such as its obsession with pandering to cyclists, in order that local authority job preservation is given top priority.

A Davies

Shrewsbury