'It won't touch the sides!' Shropshire Lib Dems slam 'insulting' Government allocation to county for buses

It has been revealed that the local authority will receive around £4 million out of a national allocation of £1 billion - the 53rd lowest of 73 allocations.

The allocation comes after Shropshire lost more miles of bus routes than any other county in England between 2015 and 2023 - according to Liberal Democrat councillors - 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,  said that each region in England will benefit from the funding, but particularly areas that have been historically underserved, such as rural areas and small towns.

However, since the breakdown of funding was confirmed by the Department of Transport today (Monday), Shropshire's Liberal Democrats have said this showed not to be the case.

Shropshire Council had outlined the need for £73.5 million of funding across three years to transform the county’s bus network as part of its Bus Service Improvement Plan that has gained cross-party approval.

However, the authority has been granted £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.”

Councillor Rob Wilson for Copthorne 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.”