Telford and 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 councillors at a full council meeting 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.
Commenting, Councillor Davies said:
“We’ve waited some time for more information from government about their plans for so called levelling up.
“The reality is the whitepaper 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 and Wrekin Council is a high performing local authority with a very clear vision to protect, care and invest to create a better 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.”
The motion garnered cross-party support, with just one councillor abstaining.
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 £130m 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.”
PSE will be hosting a Public Sector Decarbonisation in association with Liberty Charge virtual event on 17 March 2022. Join us for the full day event by registering here.
