Shropshire Council’s government bus funding has been described as an ‘insult’

Shropshire Council’s government bus funding has been described as an ‘insult’ by Liberal Democrat councillors after it was revealed the authority is getting one of the lowest funding allocations in the country.

Shropshire Council will receive just shy of £4 million out of a total allocation of £1 billion – the 53rd lowest of 73 allocations.

The local authority’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) outlined the need for £73.5m of funding across three years to transform the county’s bus network. However, despite the council needing to save £62.5m

However, the Government has only awarded it £1,398,474 in capital funding and £2,497,869 in revenue for tghe 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, Shadow portfolio holder for climate, environment and transport, 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 BSIP set out a £73.5m vision for buses in the county, the money allocated by the Government won’t touch the sides.”

One bus service that has been highlighted as being poor is the 576 that runs between Shrewsbury and Oswestry, connecting rural villages including Baschurch, Bomere Heath and Ruyton-XI-Towns.

Councillor Robert Jones, who is the Lib Dem candidate for the Ruyton and Baschurch ward, said: “The 576 bus is a vital link to both Shrewsbury and Oswestry for many local residents, but recently I have been told about difficulties using it to get to work, college or to other appointments.

“Buses have been running late and on more than a few occasions, have not turned up at all. And then people trying to contact the operator say they have met a wall of silence with nobody answering the phone or responding to messages.

“Over the years the bus service has been handed back and forth between various operators, while users have faced increasing fares and declining reliability. People in Baschurch and elsewhere along the route have as much right to reliable and affordable public transport as anywhere else.

“Instead, they get buses arriving late or not at all; fares which have been excluded from the government’s national bus fare cap; an irregular timetable; and tickets that do not allow transfers to other buses, doubling the expense for longer journeys.

“Shropshire Council and the bus operator need to work together to ensure local residents get the reliable and useful bus service they need and deserve. It is simply not acceptable for communities like ours to continue to be left behind. Unreliable and expensive bus services don’t just leave communities more isolated; it also contributes to more traffic on the roads.”

Councillor Ian Nellins, cabinet member with responsibility for public transport, said: “The council and the Shropshire Bus Enhanced Partnership are working hard to deliver a transport system that the county will be proud of, one which allows people to prosper by connecting our communities to opportunities in employment, access to education, health housing and leisure.

“Shropshire’s refreshed Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) sets out the vision for bus travel in Shropshire, highlighting a programme of investment to transform the current bus offer in the county, creating the opportunity for bus to become a realistic first choice of travel for residents and visitors, and unlocking all the associated benefits that would bring.

“The additional funding awarded – following the £1.8m awarded in July – is welcome and will enable us to make improvements to bus services across the county. However, our ambition remains to secure the £73.5m which will be required to deliver all the proposals in our BSIP and truly transform the network.”