Analysis: Why Shropshire Council has to take the chance offered by £190 million Government loans
Following months of fretting there will be major relief at Guildhall after Shropshire Council was given permission to borrow nearly £200 million to stave off the threat of bankruptcy.
For the Liberal Democrat administration the council's perilous financial situation has dominated proceedings since they swept to election success last May.
Taking over an authority which had been run by Shropshire's Conservatives since 2005, the new leadership has been staring down the barrel of bankruptcy.
After declaring a financial emergency in the months following taking control, the administration has been fighting a host of financial fires - including the chaotic wreckage of the North West Relief Road project.
In a bid to solve its monetary misery the council had requested what is known as "exceptional financial support" (EFS) from the Government.
Today it was confirmed that the Government has agreed to the request, which comes after it granted permission for the council to raise council tax by an unprecedented nine per cent earlier this month.
The numbers included in the EFS agreement are eye-watering, and it is important to make clear that the money comes in the form of a loan that must be paid back by the people of Shropshire - not a freebie, get-out-of-jail grant.
