Councillors clash over road depot closures

Shropshire councillors clashed over the decision at last Thursday's full council meeting, after a public petition was submitted urging the council to keep the depots in Bridgnorth and Hodnet open.

Various members spoke in support of the petition and requested a recorded vote to keep the depots open while more information is sought. However, the council's legal officer said during the meeting that the petition was brought by the public, and was not a motion brought by a member, and as such did not need to be voted on, only debated.

There was a vote though - on whether or not to approve Councillor Steve Charmley's recommendations that more information is sought on the depots - but that was after the depots were closed anyway.

The debate centres around the closure of the depots on health and safety grounds. The administration says that the closures are only temporary, while objectors say that the move is permanent and that the council is moving to sell the assets off.

An argument ensued in the chamber as Cllr Buckley tried to raise a Point of Order, but was denied. The chair of the meeting, Councillor Vince Hunt, pushed forward with a vote on Cllr Charmley's recommendations, however Cllr Buckley objected saying that it was not clear what councillors were being asked to vote on.

However, the decision to close them had already been taken, without a vote, on health and safety grounds, and the vote that Councillor Hunt was seeking was to approve Councillor Charmley's recommendation of doing more investigations into the depots.

Concerns were not allayed that the real motive behind the temporary closures is to move to close them permanently as Cllr Buckley shared a letter from Kier Highways alluding to a 'permanent' relocation of staff.

In addition, an email from Shropshire Council's executive director of place, Prof Mark Barrow, says that the council is 'happy to consider disposal' of the Stourbridge Road site in Bridgnorth.

Councillor Julia Buckley said on Tuesday this week: "First Shropshire Council removed our local repair teams, now they are selling off our local assets.

"Our biggest problem this winter won’t be the “Beast from the East” it will simply be the “Least in the East” as over 120,000 residents across East Shropshire lose their winter, flooding and repair service forever."

Steve Smith, Assistant Director of Infrastructure for Shropshire Council, explained that the council had been doing a 'review in principle', along with Kier, to find out whether a reduction in the number of depots - from five to three - offered value for money, but added that no decisions on which depots, or how much would be saved, has been arrived at.

He added: "This is a completely separate exercise to the current relocation of staff which is purely reflective of an emerging safety issue and should not be considered as a decision to close the depot at Bridgnorth."

On the potential sale of the depot he added: "The council has received interest in the purchase of several of its assets, including Bridgnorth and other depots, both recently and in the past. As in the past the council will not entertain such interest unless there is a demonstrable benefit to the taxpayer.

"At present, Cabinet have not been presented with a proposal for investment or reduction of depots and until such time that a decision is made on the future of the depots, the council will not enter into further discussions of disposal of the depot at Bridgnorth."