Shrewsbury Town Council sets budget

Councillor Alan Mosley, Leader of the Council, said: “Two weeks ago I reported that Shropshire Council were seeking to make cuts in our budget which were disproportionately unfair and would have a devastating impact on our ability to provide adequate services for residents. We delayed setting our budget for further negotiations with Shropshire Council.

“Following those negotiations we are able to present a budget which shows significant efficiency gains of over £411,000, without further staffing implications.”

The Town Council will also work with Shropshire Council and, subject to due diligence, will take on full management and operation of;

• Shrewsbury’s Golf Course
• The Town’s CCTV system
• The Quarry paddling pool so that plans for a complete refurbishment, along with the Playground, can proceed.

At the same time Shropshire Council will be renewing the Town Council’s grounds maintenance contract on an indefinite basis.

Councillor Mosley continued: “In these, and potentially other areas, we will protect local services, be able to provide better quality and more efficient provision while the services remain under public ownership and control.

“Other highlights of the budget are:

• Thanks to the hard work of our staff and good management of our reserves we are able to assure residents that we will maintain standards and quality without increasing our Council Tax Precept for 2015/16. We do so knowing that many are struggling to cope with the effects of their rising cost of living. Therefore, the average rate in Shrewsbury will remain at an annual cost of £39.89 for a Band D property.

• The appointment of three Neighbourhood Wardens with important roles aimed at improving our street scene and environmental maintenance. Each will have a designated area of the town and will work with local councillors, residents and other partners to make all areas of our Town better places to live, work and visit.

• We will be investing significant resources on grounds maintenance equipment to ensure efficiency and enhance quality of service.

• We have scheduled £395,000 for the complete refurbishment of the Quarry Playground and Paddling Pool areas. We know that these important facilities are very well used by residents from across the town as well as by visitors. We want to bring them up to date and of even more interest and value to our young people. We will also be investing increased resources in the playgrounds and open spaces throughout the Town.

“For some time Shrewsbury has been one of the largest town councils in the Country and is increasingly recognised as the best. This budget fully recognises the financial challenges which all in the public sector face. However, with many thanks to our staff, we are able to make very substantial progress both in the breadth of services we will provide and also in the quality and cost effectiveness of all that we do.”