Shropshire Star

Watch: Angry Green protesters demand answers over Shropshire Council cuts

Demonstrators were out in force to voice their concerns over the possibility of council cuts to services and leisure facilities.

Published
Councillor Duncan Kerr, front right, with members of the Green Party protesting outside Shirehall where a council meeting was taking place

Shrewsbury and North Shropshire Green Party organised a demonstration outside Shirehall, Shrewsbury, yesterday to demand some straight answers from the Conservative-led council.

The demonstration came just before the monthly full council meeting.

Councillor Duncan Kerr, front right, with members of the Green Party protesting outside Shirehall where a council meeting was taking place

Members of the Green Party asked members questions on a range of issues they say the public are concerned about, including threats to public health services, library cuts, councillor-paid allowances, poor air quality, loss of green spaces, and the state of Shrewsbury's bus station.

Duncan Kerr, Green Party councillor for Oswestry South, said: "We've had many local people contact us to ask how they can stand up for their communities and fight the threatened cuts to swimming pools, parks, libraries, buses and youth services.

"They are angry that Shropshire councillors have driven our council to the edge of a financial cliff by their dogmatic belief in cutting council tax. This policy may have benefitted the wealthy but it is now hitting us all as the council has some £16m less to provide essential services like those to the elderly and vulnerable children.

"I posed a number of questions during the meeting challenging councillors to cut their own allowances, not services, and to apologise to Shropshire people for the waste of public money on vanity projects like ip&e. There is a fairer and better way of running our council and we will be out on the streets explaining this to people over the next few months. People have been very wary of Shropshire Council's ability to change."

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.