Shropshire Council 'stashing away millions as cuts made'

Speaking at a debate on the county's budget, Liberal group leader Roger Evans said the council had recently received about £3 million of Government money which included a grant to help with rural issues.

He told the authority's cabinet: "We should be using that money but instead we are putting more than £5 million into reserves while making drastic cuts all over the place.

"Is that what a caring authority should be doing?"

The authority's cabinet was debating the budget for the coming 12 months, which will be decided at a full council meeting in a fortnight.

It is looking to find £18.5 million worth of savings in the next council year.

In reply, council leader Peter Nutting said the money would be put into reserves until it was known what kind of settlement Shropshire would get from the Government next year at the end of the current, four-year settlement.

Adult social care

"The Liberals want to bankrupt the council. We are not going to spend all the money as soon as it comes in," he said.

Speaking before the meeting, the authority’s director of finance James Walton said that general council tax will rise by 2.99 per cent, with an additional one per cent on top for adult social care, with the cost of providing the service rising by £8 million to £10 million.

The provisional increase for a Band D property will be £53.27. With the government settlement for next year still uncertain, he said £25 million was being put aside to manage the budget next year. Up to £6 million of reserves will be used this year to balance the budget.

Labour councillor Alan Moseley said that by making cutbacks the council was storing up unintended consequences for the most vulnerable in the county and those in most need of the services.

Public consultation on the details of the budget ends on February 18, with the full council meeting on February 28.