Despite the clear restrictions on what council business can be conducted in the run up to an election, Shropshire Council’s administration has scheduled a meeting on its contractors’ performance on highways maintenance next Tuesday. It seems that the council is not aware that highways are a political issue and a battleground in many council areas […]
Month: March 2021
Covid Watch 140: Ludlow town buses back to normal from Thursday 1 April when vax shuttle ends
Bus services have been disrupted in recent weeks to give priority to the shuttle bus between Ludlow and the Racecourse vaccination centre. From Thursday, the 701 and 722 will revert to their previous timetables, with each running every half an hour from Ludlow Assembly Rooms. The vaccination programme at Ludlow Racecourse is due to slow […]
We can’t go back to district councils but we can regain local control of decisions and make our rural voice heard
The decision for Shropshire to become a unitary council from May 2009 is still resented here in south west Shropshire. Under Shropshire Council’s first leader, it led to a huge centralisation of control in Shropshire and the sucking of rural resources into Shrewsbury and Oswestry. It was not going unitary that was the problem. It […]
Escape to the country programmes and articles by urban journalists don’t give a real view of rural life
Am I the only one who find programmes like Escape to the Country unsettling? The clue is in the word “escape”. That idea of rural life being idyllic compared to the nightmare of living in cities. Before anyone gets worked up, I don’t think cities are a nightmare. A buzz of life 24 hours seven […]
Covid Watch 139: Government tells councils they must meet in public after May local elections – that is neither practical or safe
Local councils have been meeting online during the pandemic. After a few teething problems, the practice of meeting online has worked well. But yesterday the government declared councils must meet in public after 7 May. Many councillors think this is too early. A good many councils, including Ludlow Town Council and Shropshire Council, do not […]