Shropshire villages ‘left on hold’ over new line

Residents in the villages of Hope and Bentlawnt, near Shrewsbury, are calling on Shropshire Council to help the outreach service return to Hope village hall by approving a new phone line.

The service was set up after the closure of Bentlawnt Shop and Post Office in January 2017. It sees a van sent from Pontesbury to the village hall every Wednesday afternoon.

Heather Kidd, Shropshire Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen, said: "Local residents have rallied round and turned the occasion into a major social event every week with teas, coffees and soup being sold to raise funds for the village hall. Local shops have also come along to run stalls."

The service has struggled because of poor internet connection at the village hall, relying on mobile phone signal instead, which has sometimes failed.

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But now the future of the service is in doubt after an upgrade to the Post Office's system meant it was no longer compatible with the connection at the village hall.

Councillor Kidd said she and residents had been pressing the council to grant permission to run a line across the site of the old Hope School next door, and now after the Post Office upgrade she said it has become a matter of urgency.

"All we have had is prevarication and foot dragging over the last 12 months and people are now beginning to get angry," said Councillor Kidd.

"We haven't had a post office service now for the last five weeks because the equipment will not connect. People will have to take their business elsewhere if they cannot rely on the service.

"In this age of austerity, communities are pressed to take on services for themselves."

Tim Smith, Shropshire Council’s head of business enterprise and commercial services, said: “Shropshire Council is aware of the issue and is working with BT to resolve the problem.”