Shropshire Star

Shropshire councillors reject 'complacency' claims

Councillors have rejected claims of complacency setting in to do with long-term contractors despite admitting a "rocky" past with highways firm Ringway.

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The company has been employed by Shropshire Council since 2012 and provides highways maintenance, including street lighting, fleet management and maintenance, street cleansing, road-gritting drivers and grounds maintenance.

Councillor Hannah Fraser, who represents Shrewsbury's Abbey ward, had pressed cabinet member Simon Jones over her concerns about complacency from those dealing with long-term contracts with firms such as Ringway – including staff in the authority and at the contractors.

Councillor Jones rejected the claim and said Ringway's performance had been improving.

He said: "The relationship with the contractor has been rocky in the past. There have been high level meetings ongoing with the contractor and I can quite confidently say we are now in a position where things are improving. They are very keen to improve."

He added: "With regards to complacency and both of the contracts, they do have a finite time. Ringway is a six-year contract and they are four years into it. There are two years left with the possibility of an extension. But only with improved performance so I think complacency is not there because we are very tight on our contractors and we monitor them very closely."

Shropshire Council's chief executive Clive Wright also insisted that contractors who did not live up to expectations would not get paid and would not retain their contracts.

He said: "If they cannot deliver and prove themselves to be competent then we bring in others who can."

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