Anger as £17 million cuts are not on Shropshire Council meeting agenda

Leaders of the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups yesterday criticised the agenda of the authority's annual full council meeting, which did not discuss the £17 million it must find in cuts and savings over the next financial year.

Ludlow councillor Andy Boddington, branded it a "disgrace" that the cuts were not being mentioned.

Speaking at the meeting held at Shirehall, Alan Mosley, Labour group leader, said: "I do want to make a point that we called together 76 people from all over the county, and there is very little business on the agenda.

"We are not using the powers of full council adequately. It is an opportunity missed.

"We have drawn together all the councillors at some degree of cost and there is nothing of real significance on the agenda. We are in a financial crisis.

"We had a cabinet meeting that showed black holes all over the place and we have an opportunity to discuss and debate the financial strategy but we are not doing that.

"It is not on the agenda, it is an opportunity missed for us and the public to have an awareness about what on Earth is going on."

Councillor Brian Williams, who was elected to the role of Speaker at the meeting, responded: "I am advised that we do not normally put major items on the annual meeting of the council."

Mr Mosley said while he understood it was not normal practice to put financial debates on an AGM agenda, the issue was discussed during last year's meeting.

He said: "Why is that not on today? Why are we wasting an opportunity to debate these issues?"

Liberal Democrat group leader Roger Evans said: "I will agree with the last speaker.

"Let's have a council debate where we can debate items for the people of Shropshire."

Councillor Williams suggested leader of the political groups should speak to Shropshire Council leader Malcolm Pate ahead of the meeting, who would "listen carefully to recommendations" for the agenda.

The criticisms came following similar calls made by councillor Boddington ahead of the meeting, who said it was a disgrace the financial problems did not feature on the agenda.

He said: "People in Shropshire might be surprised that the council is not to discuss the ongoing cuts, especially the enforced transfer of services to parish and town councils.

"Perhaps this might appear on the July council agenda, but that will be just six weeks before the 'take it or lose it' deadline imposed by Shropshire Council.

"If council leaders had confidence in what they are doing, they would welcome, even relish public scrutiny. But we have a near empty agenda.

"That is a disgrace. We should be using every opportunity to discuss the crisis facing services in our county. This council leadership seems hell bent on destroying Shropshire Council as a democratic institution.

"If it wasn't apparent before, the minimalist agenda for the council meeting shows that this unitary authority is well on its way to becoming a democratic shipwreck."

Meanwhile, the council discussed a motion put forward to put pressure on the Government for fairer funding to go to rural schools in the county, following a U-turn on plans to force all schools to become academies.

The motion, put forward by councillor Andrew Bannerman, called on the Government to divert some of the half a billion pounds set aside for "blanket" academisation, to rural schools.

The proposal was debated by members, and portfolio holder for children and young people David Minnery put forward an amendment, welcoming the U-turn, seeing an end to compulsory academisation of schools.

Councillors raised concerns that this did not send the right message, as many schools will still be forced to become academies if they do not meet required standards of teaching.

Others raised fears there was still a lot of emphasis on the need for schools to become academies, and that many in Shropshire face closure because of rising costs and lack of funding.

Councillor Malcolm Pate said it was important rural schools were given a "fair deal" when it came to funding.

The motion was agreed with an amendment, which urged local MPs to secure in the proposed legislation transitional funding that would help small and rural schools.

The council will now write to central government, urging it to consider fairer funding.