Your Voice Your Vote: 'Smaller towns are ignored'

Ann from Shifnal said she believed too much money was spent on Shrewsbury

In the run-up to the local election the BBC is looking at the issues that matter the most to you as part of Your Voice, Your Vote.

County councils and other authorities hold elections on Thursday.

Ann from Shifnal told the BBC she believed that too much money in Shropshire was spent in its county town - Shrewsbury.

She said locally-elected councillors needed to fight for local people's rights.

"We are a rural county, and many issues in villages and smaller market towns are overlooked," she said.

"Only two weeks ago, a whole road in Shrewsbury was resurfaced. But potholes are plaguing many rural roads, and even main roads - the A442 is prime example - are just ignored.

"I now call it Shrewsbury Council, not Shropshire Council, as that's where most money is spent."

About £39m has been spent on the North West Relief Road so far

There is no available data on how money is spread across different areas of the county by Shropshire Council.

We can take a look at some examples of significant investment across the county.

In February, a revised business case for the four mile (6.4km) North West Relief Road around Shrewsbury estimated the scheme would cost £215m, and about £39m had already been spent on it.

A £28m redevelopment is planned for Shrewsbury Sports Village, which could include new swimming pools and a gym.

Elsewhere, in March, a new £14m fitness centre opened in Whitchurch.

A plant to produce biochar in Ludlow was given the go-ahead in March - which was part of a £2m investment by the council in locally manufactured biochar-producing plants.

And £3.6m was spent on enhancing Shifnal town centre, which was completed in 2022.

The council will turn a former anaerobic digestion plant in Ludlow into a unit producing a form of charcoal

Looking ahead, in the Conservative-run Shropshire Council's draft revenue and capital budget for 2025-26, there are figures for how money could be spent.

For example, money towards several new build housing programmes in Gobowen, Harmer Hill and Weston Rhyn is included.

The project in Gobowen has a proposed budget of more than £2.6m, with more than £550,000 in Harmer Hill, and more than £96,000 in Weston Rhyn.

There is also a potential budget of more than £1.1m for refurbishment of Coton Hill House in Shrewsbury.

Areas proposed to receive highways capital include the A488 Hope Landslip, which could be allocated £200,000, and the A490 Chirbury to Churchstoke Landslip - which could be given more than £650,000.

Funds are proposed for flood risk projects in Albrighton, Clun and Much Wenlock, while there could be money allocated towards several road signal enhancement schemes across Shrewsbury.

Of course, there are also funds that could be allocated to the North West Relief Road - more than £34m.

What do local parties say?

The BBC asked candidates in Shifnal South what their parties thought of Ann's views.

Ed Bird, candidate for the Conservative Party, said it was natural that Shrewsbury received significant investment, as it was the county town and largest settlement.

He said Shifnal had seen considerable investment over the last four years, including the £3.6m enhancement scheme to the town centre.

He said there had been other investments including £101,000 from the Community Infrastructure Levy neighbourhood fund, a £1.2m investment programme at St Andrew's School, and Stanton Road undergoing a full resurface.

He added there was still more to do.

"Shifnal is growing, and these investments show our town is not being left behind. I will continue to press for the improvements our community needs and deserves," he said.

Charlotte Burgess-Bate, candidate for the Liberal Democrats, said she agreed that that Shropshire Council was too centralised, adding that it inevitably led to a bias towards key locations, while smaller and more rural areas missed out.

The Lib Dems would investigate decision-making behind the North West Relief Road, and would launch a new Shropshire Partnership, which would see the authority work with towns, parishes, communities and organisations to deliver services "more effectively and efficiently".

She added that the party would "ensure residents' needs are rightly put first".

Jan Coulson, Labour candidate, said he agreed with Ann's statement, and said it was not a new issue.

In a 2022 newsletter, the party wrote about Shifnal and Albrighton being "communities on the edge", which said the areas were overlooked by the council.

He said a Labour-led council would reject special treatment for any part of the county "at the expense of another".

He added that the town had been "taken for granted" and if elected would be an advocate for Shifnal's share of resources.

Richard Leppington, on behalf of Reform UK, said the part could not give promises on proportions of money to be spent in individual areas, but it believed that a "huge amount" of money was wasted by Shropshire Council.

In the party's first 100 days, it would set up a department of government efficiency and public accountability, to deliver immediate savings to be passed to residents in the form of better front line services.

He added that Shifnal would get its "fair share" of this bigger resource.

The Independent candidate has not responded to the BBC.