Communities in Ludlow and its surrounding rural villages have been promised a £35,000 windfall.

The money is coming from the Ludlow and Ludlow Rural local joint committee and needs to be spent in the Ludlow area before March 2009.

An open public meeting is scheduled for 7pm on May 15 to discuss how this money could best be used for the benefit of communities.

Today Councillor Peter Corston, who chairs the committee, said he was delighted. He said: “Our budget of £35,000 has been confirmed for a second year.

“In the last financial year we used the money in our budget to support 17 small community projects in Ludlow and the surrounding parishes which make up our ‘patch’.

“This year, we’re looking at some different approaches to using the budget the committee has been given, and felt the best way to do this would be to call a special open meeting just to talk about how the money could be used most effectively.

“I’d urge anyone living in Ludlow or the surrounding parishes of Ashford Carbonell, Richards Castle, Ashford Bowdler and Ludford to come along and join us in an informal session on May 15 at 7pm at Ludlow College Refectory.”

The Ludlow and Ludlow Rural local joint committee was launched as part of the preparation for the unitary authority for Shropshire, which will come into being next year.