£300 million investment: Shropshire Council's updated corporate plan given green light

The plan details the intention to spend £300 million on projects to provide jobs, housing, community hubs and infrastructure over the coming years, including £10 million on two new medical practices in Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, and student accommodation in Shrewsbury.

But Labour's Alan Mosley and Councillor Roger Evans, a Lib Dem, both called for the plan to be scrapped.

Councillor Mosley said: "I'm a bit concerned about some of the implications from the peer group that visited the council.

"There are a number of questions that were raised by this external assessment.

"They're saying that of the £34m that you're planning on saving in terms of extra income, £12m of that is high risk.

"I'm suggesting you may wish to withdraw this version of the corporate plan and look at the financial viability of the council before submitting it.

"The corporate plan is meaningless unless we can show within it there's financial planning and viability in order to fulfil objectives."

Councillor Evans said he would "echo" a lot of what Councillor Mosley said and agreed that the corporate plan should be withdrawn.

"The plan talks about improving standards of education improvement, and we heard from a headteacher of a school which uses our education improvement service - which is being cut - said the school would fail without the school improvement service there."

Challenges

Councillor Nicholas Bardsley, portfolio holder for children and young people, said that was just one headteacher's views.

Council leader Peter Nutting said of the peer group: "They gave me the impression that they were more than happy with the corporate plan and that we are heading in the right direction.

"As ever there will be challenges, there always are."

The authority has already invested about £50m in Shrewsbury's shopping centres and plans to invest about £20m in Shirehall, out of the £300m earmarked.

The report says the council intends to also invest in housing "which meets the needs and requirements of local communities" and areas earmarked as priorities for economic growth.

Earlier this year the council identified a funding shortfall for this financial year of more than £20m which increases to £27m in 2022/23.

The report says that it must find ways to ensure it operates as “efficiently as it can” due to the current challenging financial situation.