Councils rule out merger

The leaders of Telford and Wrekin Council and Shropshire Council have ruled out a merger, but have pledged to “be pragmatic and co-operate when it is reasonable and possible to do so”.

The political leaders, Telford’s Cllr Shaun Davies and Shropshire’s Petter Nutting, met to discuss options in recent weeks.

Both are relatively new in post with Davies having taken over in May 2016 and Nutting in May this year.

It was recognised that there is already a great deal of co-operation between the two councils on a range of services where this enables high quality and efficiency at low cost.

However because the councils face different sets of circumstances – Telford and Wrekin has a mainly urban population with large and growing urban core while Shropshire is extremely rural – a merger has been ruled out.

Davies, a Labour councillor, said: “We both recognise the differences between our councils, the areas and populations we serve.

“However, there will continue to be opportunities to co-operate very closely because this is the right thing to do to ensure that we deliver the best and most effective services possible for our residents.

“The progress that Telford & Wrekin Council has made in attracting investment and growing its economy since it was formed 19 years ago is proof of how a single voice for our area and its needs is vital.”

Nutting, a Conservative councillor, added: “The two councils have very different challenges and different political control, yet there are a number of areas in which we work together very productively.

“Although we may not agree politically, we must be pragmatic and co-operate when it is reasonable and possible to do so.

“I see no advantage in spending time and effort pursuing a merger of the two councils when there are much more important issues to tackle including growing our economies, which are much more likely to deliver outcomes for our communities and improve the finances of each council.”