Shropshire councils team up in fight for fair funding

Malcolm Pate, leader of Shropshire Council, today came come out in support of Shaun Davies, leader of Telford and Wrekin Council over the issue of funding handed to authorities by central Government.

The two leaders claim the councils together could be as much as £47 million worse off than the average council.

It comes after Councillor Davies wrote to Telford and Wrekin MPs Mark Pritchard and Lucy Allan urging them to take up the fight in Parliament for fairer funding.

Malcolm Pate said: "I absolutely agree with the leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, and since I became leader in December 2015 I have, with the support of Shropshire MPs, pressed the Government for a fair deal.

"In Telford and Wrekin the shortfall is £12 million and, by the same calculation, the shortfall is £35 million per year in Shropshire between us and the average council.

"If the Government were to adjust funding to the average this would more than solve all of our financial difficulties in Shropshire, and take the pressure off services that are not having to be so drastically cut back in other parts of England.

"The gap of £35 million between Shropshire Council and the average shows what an amazingly efficient council we are.

"A fair funding re-think is needed to balance the books and maintain the excellent services our communities value."

In his letter to MPs, Councillor Davies said Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski had been pro-active in getting nearly £10 million in extra funding for Shropshire Council.

He said Mr Kawczynski was one of 50 Conservative MPs who put his name to a letter demanding changes to the government's proposed financial settlement with local government.

He called on Ms Allan and Mr Pritchard to also be pro-active in the fight, saying: "This appears to have secured a further £8.5 million in funding for Shropshire Council."