Cuts which may have gone under the radar
I know there are those who do not use social media, but sometimes there are items that should go before a wider audience. And recently, someone made an important observation on school transport funding.
It is understood that Shropshire Council plans to cut school transport funding, and even withdraw nursery transport for children with special educational needs completely. They are consulting on it now, what do you think? Do you think it will have a big impact on people in Drayton?
“If approved, the changes would apply to new families joining the scheme. Those already receiving help would be protected,” it was said.
Under the plans, some families would see their financial contribution to travel costs rise from £142.50 to £437.50 a year. Post-16 special educational needs pupils would have to make a contribution for the first time under the proposals, while the nursery special educational needs transport provision would be withdrawn completely, saving £60,000.
For the past 15 years Wheelers has provided transport on a shoestring budget which, incidentally, is still diminishing. We cannot pick up the tab for yet another cutback.
One has to remember where this all started. It started with Cameron and his big society, which was a con and which was fundamentally an excuse to get the volunteers to pick up the tab for austerity.
The Coalition and then the Tories on their own fleeced the old, the sick and the vulnerable and cut services to the bone – help for children with needs, elderly care, not to mention libraries etc.
They all went to the wall and cynically in Parliament they banged on about democracy and obeying the will of the people.
In truth there is as much democracy as any government allow us to think we have.
All local authorities – especially our local councillors – should, in my opinion, have told central government to take a hike and forced central government to run councils by commissioners. The resultant cost would have made a nonsense of austerity plans and forced more reasonable solutions.
John Harrison, Whixall
Send us your letters for publication:
Email us at starmail@shropshirestar.co.uk or write to: Readers’ Letters, Shropshire Star, Ketley, Telford, TF1 5HU. Letters MUST include the writer’s name, address and telephone number. Letters will only be published anonymously in exceptional circumstances. The editor reserves the right to condense or amend letters.
