Rural areas 'taken for granted' as North Shropshire MP laments Levelling Up snub

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan criticised the government after a bid for transport funding as well as proposals for Oswestry and Craven Arms were rejected.

Meanwhile, a bid to help redevelop Shrewsbury town centre was approved.

It is the second time that a bid to improve Shropshire’s bus services has been rejected by the government after a bid to the Bus Back Better fund was declined, despite numerous routes across the county being axed in recent years. There is now only one service that operates in the whole of Shropshire on Sundays.

The news comes despite Shropshire Council spending more than £100,000 on previous Levelling Up bids. The Government which has been accused of prioritising cash for areas it wants to win at the next general election.

Mrs Morgan, who is the Lib Dem Levelling Up spokesperson, insisted the Government has once again prioritised its political agenda over the needs of communities.

She said: “Yet again the Government seems to have ignored the evidence, ignored the needs of rural areas and prioritised the Conservative political agenda.

“Public transport in Shropshire is fading away under the Conservatives and the Government has missed an open goal by failing to invest in buses and failing to invest in our rural communities.

“Rishi Sunak could have helped pensioners reach hospital appointments and helped shoppers reach the high street but instead he has made sure people without a car will remain stranded across Shropshire.

“Families in North Shropshire are sick of larger towns and cities being prioritised at their expense. People in Oswestry deserve Government support but instead they have been taken for granted by the Conservatives once again.

“More than a hundred thousand pounds has been spent by Shropshire Council on applying for Levelling Up funding and I will be seeking a detailed explanation from the Government as to why the majority of people in the county will see no benefit from that money.”