Letter: Telford has a closer West Midlands link
There have been a number of letters commenting on the suggestion by Daniel Kawczynski MP of merging Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin's councils. The prime mover for such a suggestion is the prospect of significant savings.
However, regardless of the suggested but unproven savings I can see the benefit to Shropshire but not to Telford & Wrekin.
Telford & Wrekin is a unitary authority with a significant expanding industrial base and a growing population with both likely to expand further over the coming years. With further regional devolution promised by Westminster with Birmingham and Wolverhampton following the Manchester example it would make more sense for Telford & Wrekin to join up with these councils rather than Shropshire.
Telford & Wrekin has more in common with Wolverhampton / Birmingham and Coventry and would have a say and influence in any super West Midlands devolved structure and its allocation of funds.
I suspect the real reason for such merger suggestions is to use Telford & Wrekin's population, tax base and industry to subsidise Shropshire's underutilised rural schools a myriad of inefficient parish councils and its ageing demographic.
However, one would hope that before any merger bandwagon takes off, both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin would have significant time to debate all the issues and both councils would support a vote on the matter rather than us all being presented with a predetermined decision cooked up behind closed doors. A local referendum is needed perhaps.
Richard McGowan, Shawbirch, Telford
