Telford & Wrekin Council backs no merger, no mayor motion
Telford & Wrekin Council has backed calls from its Leader, Councillor Shaun Davies, to oppose any merger with Shropshire Council and an elected mayor for Shropshire.
The motion, put before Members at a meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council on 3 March, came after the government’s Levelling Up White Paper set out details of a new devolution framework, proposing local government reorganisation in order to bid for future funding.
Leader of the council, Councillor Shaun Davies (Labour) said: “We’ve waited some time for more information from government about their plans for so called up Levelling Up.
“The reality is, the White Paper is scant on the details we expected and wanted to see. Instead it proposes that future bids to the Levelling Up Fund would require some form of single authority for the Telford, Wrekin and Shropshire area with an elected mayor.
“Telford & Wrekin Council is a high performing local authority with a very clear vision to protect, care and invest to create abetter borough. We’re on the side of our residents and everything we do is focused on making their lives better. I can see no circumstances where a merger with Shropshire Council would be in their best interests.”
Members voted on the motion at the meeting, with just one member abstaining, it garnered cross-party support.
Councillor Davies continued: “We will continue to strongly object to any manufactured merger with Shropshire Council and oppose the government’s proposal for an elected mayor for Shropshire.”
“Rather than some top-down reorganisation imposed on us by London, we need the money Government have cut from local budgets – some £130 million each year - or more of the money we send to Whitehall in taxes and national insurance, so that we can invest this directly into our communities and residents.”
