Shropshire Council service point closures 'will impact on elderly'

The authority is planning to reduce the number of hours its customer service points operate - in some cases slashing the number of days they are open by more than 50 per cent.

The customer service point in Ludlow, which runs from the town's library, will be open for just two days a week, leaving users with a reduced option for vital services such as advice sessions, disabled and parking permits and payments for council bills.

For many, the service point is a vital link - especially for the elderly who traditionally are not the most computer literate.

Councillor Andy Boddington said: "We have an ageing population in Ludlow and they are not internet aware nor are they going to learn.

"People prefer to be able to talk to someone about their concerns and issues. They want to go to a private place to do this and talk face to face with someone. The reduction in the hours the service points are open will be at the detriment of many people."

Councillor Viv Parry added: "The people who worked at the customer service point were very experienced and were able to help with a wide range of queries.

Debates

"There are a lot of people who can not use the internet and also those who would prefer to talk to someone face to face than over the telephone," Councillor Parry said.

Her comments come as Shropshire Council debates its corporate plan - which includes the proposed reorganisation of the customer services points across the county.

Councillor Heather Kidd said the plan did not put anything in the rural areas.

She added: "Bishop's Castle is a market town but we have to fight for everything. We need to put a proper rural strategy together for the corporate plan.

Shropshire Council leader, Councillor Peter Nutting said he was brought up on dairy farm had been a shopkeeper in a rural area and understood the problems of the countryside.

He said: "We can't provide every facility in every village and we can't mention every small market town in the corporate plan. But we are working with out market towns."

A consultation in to the proposed closures ran in the summer. The council's Cabinet will now discuss the matter in the new year.