Cost of keeping Shropshire Council-run services alive is revealed

Town and parish councils and community groups now have five months to come up with suitable agreements to manage or fund at-risk services.

Leisure centre and swimming pool providers are also likely to be asked to reduce the amount it costs to run the facilities to keep them open.

Those facing potential closure include the county's libraries, including six large ones stationed in Shropshire's market towns.

Museums affected include Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, Acton Scott Working Farm, as well as Ludlow Museum and Resource Centre, and Much Wenlock Museum.

Leisure centres across the county, including those at Market Drayton, Much Wenlock, Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Oswestry, Church Stretton, Bridgnorth, Ellesmere, Wem and Whitchurch, are affected by the cuts.

A host of public spaces and parks across Shropshire also face a complete withdrawal of funding.

While agreements are expected to be in place for some services, such as Shrewsbury Library, which costs around £328,000 a year to run, others such as Ludlow are awaiting agreement, with the clock ticking.

The leader of Shropshire Council, councillor Malcolm Pate, has said that some services could be maintained if town and parish councils decided to increase their precept by a small amount per person, each year.

He said: "It is only those services that the town and parish councils feel that are important to communities they are willing to precept or deliver themselves to continue.

"If a service isn't needed or they are not willing to precept, it will close.

"We meet the question a lot, will they actually close, but the budget is what it is, there is just no money.

"The cash will simply not be there to deliver them."When you look at the services we are not going to be able to deliver they are a fraction, just a small part of our budget. Refuse collection, road repairs, the elderly care, all sorts of things make up 95 per cent our our services we will still deliver.

"It is just political in saying it is the end. There is no question that Shropshire Council won't be delivering 90 per cent of what we deliver. Hopefully, working with towns and parish councils the communities will continue to have these services.

"Parish and town councils are seeing this as an opportunity and a challenge."

Councillor Pate added that some councils have shown "a great deal of understanding" about the situation, while the authority's chief executive, Clive Wright said that the situation was "very positive" and he thanked councils for their cooperation.

However, Councillor Alan Mosley, leader of Shropshire Council's labour group, said that the county authority was absolving itself of responsibility for providing the services.

He said: "It is further comment which shows that Shropshire Council is abdicating its responsibility along with the Government which is reducing its funding for public services."

He added: "Malcolm Pate should mind his own business relating to other councils who I am sure will act responsibility in talking to their residents and will do everything possible to protect the vital services Shropshire Council is looking to slash."