Shropshire and Telford council restructure is 'last thing we need', says councillor
The last thing the residents of Shropshire and Telford need is a costly council reorganisation, a councillor has said.
Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski and North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson have both suggested that the county could save money by having just one unitary authority.
The leaders of both Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council – Malcolm Pate and Shaun Davies – have both spoken out against the idea.
Green Party Shropshire councillor Duncan Kerr has now joined criticism of the suggestion, saying it would create an even more remote authority.
"Shropshire and Telford are facing financial meltdown as a result of Government intransigence to fund the care services our elderly people deserve.
"In Shropshire the 17 per cent rise in council tax needed to fund adult services is there because of the seven-year council tax freeze the Conservatives chose to implement," he said.
"The way forward is quite obvious – not a costly reorganisation but an insistence that the two organisations get round a table and work together to cut costs by sharing services.
"In Shropshire's case it would also help to cut the £1 million plus they spend on councillor allowances.
"I said precisely this when I was elected to Shropshire Council earlier this year, pointing out that since 2012 the Government has urged them to share services.
"Unfortunately, both councils have chosen to put political dogma ahead of pubic services and the costs of this failure are born by the weakest in our community."
Mr Paterson has asked Government minister Sajid Javid to commission a review of local government in Shropshire and the savings for taxpayers if the two councils were merged.
Mr Paterson said the continuing independence of Telford & Wrekin Council creates inefficiency and that a strong unitary council for the whole of Shropshire would deliver significant savings for taxpayers.
But Councillor Pate said: "I have told the leader of Telford & Wrekin Council there are no plans whatsoever to take over Telford & Wrekin Council. I hope we can work together to work for the benefit of us both."
Councillor Davies said: "This issue has been regularly aired and is firmly rejected by both councils, precisely because we represent very different areas. This has cross party support on this council."
