Town clerks fear tax rises after Shropshire Council services shake-up

Clerks from Oswestry and Bridgnorth have both said they will be forced to increase council tax in a bid to safeguard a number of services – including leisure centres, museums and tourism facilities.

Oswestry Town Council has also said it will ask local government minister Greg Clark for his views on Shropshire Council, over its retention of a substantial grant originally handed to town and parish councils.

Town clerk David Preston said councillors are extremely concerned about Shropshire Council's "designating services document", which sets out how community groups and town and parish councils can take over responsibility for services.

"Some of these are mandatory services," Mr Preston said. "We have had an invitation from Ludlow Town Council to join forces with Shropshire's town councils and come together next month to look at what can be done.

"In the meantime we are asking Owen Paterson MP to contact the minister on our behalf to ask his views on what would be a substantial precept increase if we had to either give Shropshire Council money to keep services running or see them transferred to Oswestry Town Council."

He added: "We also want to know local government minister Greg Clark's view on Shropshire Council not passing over the council tax support grant that the government gives it to pass on to town councils. This has meant Oswestry Town Council losing £100,000 over the last two years.

"If we did put up the precept by such an amount, would we then be threatened with having our precept capped, which would restrict our ability to respond to the needs of the town?"

Anne Wilson, clerk to Bridgnorth Town Council, said smaller councils are under "tremendous pressure" to retain threatened services.

She said: "Clerks have genuine pride in the role that we play in our communities.

"Also the many challenges and opportunities that our employers are facing as central and local government funding changes and the expectation on the most local and recognisable council to the local community, namely us, increases.

She said: "Each town and parish council is different in how we do the job but the fundamental drive of every town council is the same – to do what's best for their respective community. Even more so now but town councils, with the loss of the former borough councils and the localism agenda, are being expected to lead their communities."

"Shropshire Council is looking to redesign many services as their financial strategy hits home.

"There is tremendous pressure on the market town councils to retain local services now under threat."

Mrs Wilson said the council is now in the process of considering which services it could take over.

She said: "We are each working to consider solutions in our towns as focus, priorities, needs and emphasis involves different ways of working and partnerships.

"Although the town council is looking at options they also question the effect on their budget, capacity and skill set of existing staff, meaning that we may have to fund outside expertise at a cost.

"If we were take on Youth Services, the library and make the Shropshire Council grant to the Leisure Centre this would be a 41.4 per cent increase on a band D property.

"The town council would carry out any necessary consultation should they feel that they should look to take on any of the services."