Star’s front row seat for sporting history
- Local newspaper week
Council is potential saviour of show
Tuesday 5th January 2010, 1:00PM GMT.
Shropshire Council was today revealed as the potential saviour of the crisis-hit West Mid Show following talks between trustees and authority bosses.
It is understood that the council has agreed to support the event which is run by the Shropshire and West Midland Agricultural Society.
The society currently has debts of around £260,000 owed to around 80 creditors.
Last month proceedings to take it into liquidation were adjourned until Thursday night to allow the society’s trustees to come up with a viable business plan to ensure the show’s survival.
Creditors will be asked to agreed to a repayment plan over the next five years while the society changes the format of the show to increase income and visitor numbers. However members of the society will first have to formally reject a proposal to liquidate the show on Thursday.
Council bosses were today putting the finishing touches to the agreement to support the show following talks between council leader Keith Barrow and show trustee Roy Dodd.
Mr Dodd today said: “I have had a very successful meeting with some people at the council and they want to help us.
“I spoke to the council leader who thinks the show is a great asset for the county and they want to do what they can to help and to ensure the show prospers.”
It is not yet known what financial contribution, if any, Shropshire Council will make to the show but a member of the authority is expected at the members meeting on Thursday night.
Sponsored Links
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
LIVE traffic updates
Road, rail and airport - latest
Our new, live traffic and travel updates service - check before you set out.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Why dont they just go bankrupt because all the debt gets wiped then…..
As for the council taking it on, oh dear, council tax hike to cover it looks probable.
Report abuse
Presumably Shropshire Council think that the economic benefits of the Show (at least to some…) merit them trying to ‘save’ the show.
I agree though. Very *very* loud alarm bells should be sounded at any hint of Shropshire Council getting involved in this. I mean, they’ve got a hard enough job running their own affairs properly…..!
Report abuse
Disgraceful!
Here we go, given the council’s fiscal aptitude it will cost us £700,000 to pay off the £260k debts, (darwin memorial?).
The council can swing for any rise at all as far as I am concerned. Council tax is to support vital services, which they are only too happy to cut left right and centre, and not to support failing relics of a bygone era.
I will NOT pay for this – the time has come to say “No More”. If you cant afford to keep the roads gritted, libraries and sports halls open, (dont get me started on the bins), then there is NO money for this type of white elephant.
Report abuse
Phil, that is no attitude, GO BANKRUPT
Report abuse
What about all of the companies that are owed money? What should they do, go down with them!
Report abuse
The companies that are owed money wont get it will they it will get written off, plus it is’nt actual physical cash is it….it’s all electronic.
Shropshire council can get stuffed if they think we are paying for a show that has long past its sell by date.
Report abuse
Shropshire council saving the show is a laugh.
How good is a council who cant even have working phones or internet, check it out they have nothing working in their offices for the last 2 days!
Report abuse
woah hold the horses this is a bad bad idea, the council is not a business it should not be funding shows for farmers, its already spent a fortune on that cattle market for them, there are other areas of the economy which employ more people and need more help, this show is a white middle class rural event which should pay for itself and is not in the interests of most shrewsbury folk
Report abuse
Gemma, there was this major thing called an explosion in Shrewsbury at the weekend which knocked out lots BT lines and injured lots of people, including those to the council and possibly even the hospital. You might have heard about it? Then again, if you had you might not have been so quick to bemoan not being able to contact the council on the phone or by email!
Even so, it’s a terrifying idea that we will ultimately end up paying for the West Mid Show, which will ultimately happen if the council takes it on. Scandalous! Is that what the proposed 4% rise is really about?!
Report abuse
great council tax goes up to put on more events for the wealthy to go with their theatre, their darwin sculptures and their shakespear in the castle events, this is on the same day the council announced meals on wheels for elderly and disabled people were going up in price!!!!! isnt it about time the council fixed the holes in road and stopped lining the pockets of an wealthy minority
Report abuse
RISKY ?
Report abuse
Tired, past it old show with a couple of ‘hooray henrys’ staring at tractors! Let it rot!
Why not merge it with the flower show which could do with some help with attendance?
Report abuse
Gemma,
As a regular traveller to shrewsbury, and as a young student, (well early 20′s), I must say that I am disgusted by your comments. You must know the situation in shrewsbury. Even if you dont live there, there is news and updates about the explosion in the news most nights.
Three people are still in a critical condition in hospital. They didnt ask for this explosion to happen, so until the investigators release the result of what caused the explosion, please think about what you are saying.
The council are very easy to get through to, however the explosion knocked telephones and other utilities out.
Report abuse