Shropshire Council leader says residents 'let down' by government finance settlement while Telford celebrates 'game-changer' funding boost
Shropshire's residents have been 'let down' by the local government finance settlement, according to a council leader.
While Labour-run Telford & Wrekin Council has been celebrating this week after the Government's announcement on local authority funding, neighbouring Liberal Democrat Shropshire Council says its settlement is "down £6.5m" on expectations for 2026/27.
The mood at Guildhall in Shrewsbury was in stark contrast to that of Telford Labour MP, Shaun Davies, who said the settlement would result in a "£66.6m cash injection" over the next four years for Telford & Wrekin Council, amounting to a "34 per cent increase in the council's spending power".
But Shropshire Council says its own settlement is £6.5m lower for 2026/27 than it had projected in October due to changes in the formula used to calculate allocations.
The news will be a significant blow to the authority, which has already declared a "financial emergency" and is requesting permission from the Government to borrow more than £70m to address its budget crisis.
