Shropshire bus funding branded an ‘insult’ by Lib Dems

Shropshire Council’s government bus funding has been described as an ‘insult’ by Liberal Democrat councillors after it was revealed the authority is getting one of the lowest funding allocations in the country.

Shropshire Council’s £4 million out of a national allocation of £1 billion is the 53rd lowest of 73 allocations.

That is despite Shropshire having lost more miles of bus routes than any other county in England between 2015 and 2023, with a decline of 63 per cent compared to just 19 per cent across Great Britain.

On Sunday the Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh MP, toured the TV studios claiming that ‘every region in England will benefit from the funding – but particularly those areas which have been historically underserved, like rural areas and small towns.’

She told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that funding for rural areas would ‘unprecedented’.

However, the breakdown of funding confirmed by the Department of Transport on Monday showed this not to be the case.

Shropshire Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, which has cross-party approval, outlined the need for £73.5 million of funding across three years to transform the county’s bus network.

However, the authority is slashing £62.5 million from its budget this year and the Labour government has granted just £1.4 million in capital funding and £2.5 million for revenue for the 2025/26 financial year.

Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said:

“This funding is a long way short of what is needed and will not deliver a step change in service for those in our communities who need a better bus service.

“The new government promised a new formula based on ‘need, deprivation and bus milage’ to end the postcode lottery, but it hasn’t come up with any new answers.

“Bus services plummeted under the Conservatives and I’m worried that Labour also just don’t understand the needs of rural areas.”

Cllr Rob Wilson (Copthorne, Liberal Democrat, Shadow Portfolio Holder for Climate, Environment and Transport) added:

“It’s an insult to the residents of Shropshire who rely on bus services to access education and employment. Business groups have been calling for improved provision to drive growth, this is a long way short of the funding required to deliver.

“Shropshire Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan set out a £73.5m vision for buses in the county, the money allocated by the Government today won’t touch the sides.”