Letter: No wonder turnout at meeting was poor

Letter: Around 0.6 of one per cent of the population of the Shifnal district attended the Shifnal and Sheriffhales Local Joint Committee meeting on January 11 to listen to the gloomy financial situation explained by the tieless leader of the Shropshire Council.

This will mean that people in the former district area of Bridgnorth will be faced with a 3.5 per cent increase in council tax in 2010/2011, the highest of the five former district areas. It is no wonder that people do not attend these meetings to listen to this.

However the main topic followed the PCT's denial of any decision to locate the new medical centre along the Wolverhampton Road stating that this was the site chosen by the practice, due to not being successful for some nine years in finding a site of the size required.

Many other sites have also been rejected. The prime location was of course the former squash club but there still remains one site with the necessary infrastructure right under their noses – the land next to the village hall. This site could be acquired by a NHS Compulsory Purchase Order.

Matrix could fund this together with the re-location of the existing businesses to Lamledge Lane. Taylor/ Wimpey could build more affordable homes along Wolverhampton Road.

Peter Hassall

Shifnal