Star comment: It's time to get grip on services
The months-long debate about Britain's place in Europe focused on a number of key issues. Sovereignty, national identity, economic wellbeing and immigration were foremost among them.
For many, the uncontrolled flow of migrants from the EU to Britain was the clincher.
People wanted to take back control of national borders to prevent unfettered access to the UK.
Quite apart from people's desire not to be part of a European super state, there was a more prosaic issue – voters feared that our services could not support any further demands upon them. They did not want to be second in the queue for an appointment with their doctor because economic migrants from other parts of the continent were ahead of them.
It is clear that demand for public services has outstripped supply. As we continue to make cuts to bring down the national debt, we cannot expect under-funded hospitals, schools and social services units to face further calls upon them. In Shropshire, swimming pools and galleries and other leisure and cultural facilities are among the latest casualties of an ongoing cuts. It has already brought about drastic reductions in services and the public sector is but a shadow of what it once was.
Yet the very services that people care so passionately about – from the NHS to schools and parks – are already facing further strains.
In Oswestry, developers want to build 600 homes at the town's Eastern Gateway. If the application is approved, local facilities will be stretched even further. A&E departments and other public facilities will have to accommodate a large number of new residents. They are unlikely to win additional funding from central Government at a time when uncertainty caused by Brexit will be causing a further tightening of purse strings.
Yet planners also have an obligation to help families to get onto the property ladder. The county has an insufficient pool of accommodation. There is too little social housing and there are too few affordable starter homes. A delicate balance must be sought in order to accommodate those who need to be housed without putting services under intolerable pressure.
Housing and the provision of public services is an issue that the county has yet to get to grips with. A cohesive long-term plan is required.
