Shirehall leaders are voicing “grave concern” that rural areas of Shropshire are not getting a fair funding deal from Government.

The Shropshire Council Cabinet is next week expected to approve a “strong lobbying campaign” through county MPs and business leaders in an attempt to get more economic aid.

The move comes after an unsuccessful £36 million bid from the newly-formed Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

The Marches LEP, an economic development partnership for Shropshire, Herefordshire and Telford & Wrekin, had applied to the Government’s £1.4 billion Regional Growth Fund.

Under the first round of the Regional Growth Fund, the Marches LEP had bid for £36 million to spend on projects such as improvements to the electricity infrastructure in Whit-church, development of the Shropshire Food Enterprise Centre, a new Oswestry marina, a livestock centre at University College Harper Adams and enterprise centres across Shropshire.

Each of these bids was unsuccessful, and the LEP is now considering lobbying Government, as well as exploring the viability of re-submitting any of the projects to the second round of the growth fund bidding.

In a series of recommendations to the council cabinet, it is asked to approve a strong lobbying campaign “to express grave concern at the way rural areas such as Shropshire and the Marches are once again being neglected for economic development funding”.

Mike Owen, cabinet member for economic growth and prosperity, said: “The Marches LEP has made good progress in the eight months since it was formed, and a strong foundation and structure has been established.

“We are extremely disappointed that the LEP’s bid for Regional Growth Fund money was unsuccessful and we want the Government to recognise that rural areas such as Shropshire and the Marches can also make a real impact on enterprise creation and private sector job growth.”

The Marches LEP has moved from “shadow” to full status and was formally launched on Tuesday this week at the House of Commons. Its vision is to “create the conditions for a strong, diverse and enterprising business base”.

By Dave Morris