School Places Solution Vital

The problem of surplus school places in Shropshire is back on the front page (Shropshire Star 2nd Feb). Now the spotlight has moved on to our secondary schools, which are reported to be facing large reductions in pupil numbers over the next 5-6 years.  This issue has been central to school funding in our County in recent years. To be fair to the controlling Tory group on the former County Council, they did recently attempt to tackle surplus numbers in the primary sector.  Sadly, rank and file Tory Councillors when faced with the inevitable angry protests buckled under the pressure, and appeared more concerned with the approaching unitary elections than with making progress on the matter.

Well, the problem has not gone away. I fully appreciate, and sympathise, with village residents concerned about the risk of closure to their school. On top of the loss of the local shop, pub and bus service this can seem like the last straw. But we must all accept small rural schools cannot be considered in isolation. Surplus places kept open mean less funding for the rest of our schools, including those in both village and town.

In my opinion what is required is an approach that considers the whole of our school system, and whilst listening fully to the people,  is not then derailed by narrow local electoral considerations. The issue is very emotive and inevitably supporters of some schools will be disappointed. The ruling Conservatives on Shropshire Council face some very tough decisions on the matter, but to do nothing is no longer an option.

What was not acceptable was the stance of certain prominent local Tories, who sought to blame the Labour Government for Shropshire’s surplus place problem. Spouting misleading and  inaccurate claims will not solve the problem, and does nothing to foster the informed debate we all need to have on the subject. The funding figures per pupil are largely a product of past failures to tackle the surplus place problem. No Government, of whatever party, is going to pay us to maintain significant numbers of empty desks.

If the same people repeat these claims now, they will truly have exposed themselves to be unable to understand simple mathematics, or worse, to be total cynics.

Drop In Surgery Gives Excellent Service

I was very pleased to hear that the new Shropshire Walk-In Health Centre at Whitehall on Monkmoor Road has been so well received by patients(letter in Shropshire Star 8th January.)

This new service which opened in September, provides medical care including a walk-in service for patients and access to GP and practice nurse services seven days a week.  The new Shropshire Walk-In Health Centre is open seven days a week from 8am until 8pm every day of the year.

The new centre does not replace any existing GP practices or services across the county, but will complement them by offering patients GP and nurse appointments when their own surgery is closed as well as a walk-in facility for registered and non-registered patients, throughout the week.

Amazingly, this excellent new facility was opposed at the County Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel Scrutiny Committee by both the Tories and the Lib Dems, who were strongly against it.

It certainly makes Lib Dem Candidate Charles West’s claims to be the champion of Shrewsbury’s health services look rather confused, as he was one of the people who was against this new facility!