Councillors set to decide how to spruce up their south Shropshire town
Councillors are set to decide how to spend their town's share of a £288,000 Government pot on sprucing up their corner of south Shropshire.
Ludlow Town Council has been allocated an £18,233 slice of the Welcome Back Fund that was recently given by Whitehall to Shropshire Council.
The town council has been told that it can commission works and submit a claim to Shropshire, including a £5,000 sustainable Christmas tree, and LED lights, and a gazebo to host a lights switch on event with a price tag of £1,400.
A full town council meeting on Monday (Nov 8) is set to be told that Shropshire Council has agreed a set of activities with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. They include Christmas lights, trees and what is called improvements to the "public realm" - bins, signs and the like.
The amount of money each town gets has been determined by its population.
A site meeting was held on October 28 in Ludlow to discuss a range of options, including a deep cleaning of town centre streets, adding more bins to Events Square and the Market Square, repainting bollards, and more signs from Galdeford car park to Parkway shops.
Town council officers in their report to councillors say that they are waiting for an itemised quote from Shropshire Council. Any underspend may mean a review and spending more on agreed activities.
Ludlow Town Council is proposing creating hanging or freestanding window banners to brighten up empty shops for £500. Specifically, the empty Pizza Express shop in Castle Square, if the owner agrees.
Another £600 has been earmarked to repaint the entry doorway at Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross.
A big push to promote Christmas markets with temporary high level flags attached to end market stalls, and a street banner to promote shopping locally, has been given a £500 price tag.
Councillors have been recommended to 'note the report' from their officers.
