'The Tories trashed Shropshire Council’s finances!' - Meeting gets heated as uncollected council tax is put in the spotlight

Councillor Harry Hancock-Davies, who represents Battlefield, was making reference to the fact that more that £23.5 million of council tax arrears is still left unpaid. 

During the 2024/25 financial year, Shropshire Council collected 97.7 per cent of council tax – above the national average of 95.9 per cent.

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That led to £258m being collected, and £6m uncollected.

However, the revenue and benefits department within the authority was severely cut during the previous Conservative adminstation, with many staff being made redundant.

Councillor Roger Evans, portfolio holder for finance, confirmed that £1.1m has been invested to increase staffing levels within the service to 21, and a business case for a proposed restructure is currently under consideration.

He added that council tax debt has also reduced by £4.6m, from £28.1m.

However, Cllr Evans confirmed that, within the last few months, the team has been focusing on “righting off uncollectable bad debt”, which has so far been £464,000. Retrieving any money owed can be limited through enforcement action, said Cllr Evans, with deductions from earnings or benefits being the main options available.

There is also an emphasis on resident welfare, said Cllr Evans, with an appreciation that council tax is becoming increasingly unaffordable for some people. It comes after Shropshire Council approved a council tax rise of nine per cent for the next financial year.

The steep rise would see around £162 a year added to an average band D property. The local authority said that, although it pains them to do it, they had no choice due to its perilous financial position.

Directing his anger at the Conservative Group, Cllr Hancock-Davies was in no doubt who is to blame.

“I tell you what – we are above the average because of the stellar work of the revs and bens [revenue and benefits] team are doing, amongst the Tories when they trashed their staffing budget, and they trashed this council’s finances.

“And, here they are – they [revenue and benefits team] are doing stellar work trying to recover the outstanding arrears. And they [Conservatives] should hang their heads in shame for what they did to this council.”

Cllr Evans agreed with Cllr Hancock-Davies’ assessment.

“The number of staff made redundant in the dying years of the last administration is enormous,” said Cllr Evans.

“I’m not sure any capability [assessment] of the departments to carry on doing that work was ever made.

“I’m amazed, and I do appreciate, the hard work that our revs and bens team does,” said Cllr Evans.

“I have been, for the last few years, concerned with the amount of council tax owed to our council, plus the length some of it has been there.

“When as an opposition member, I raised this concern, it was never followed up by the previous administration.”