Bridgnorth mayor wants 'army of volunteers' to help keep town tidy

He says he has received complaints from residents but has been told Shropshire Council can’t afford to do any more about it.

Ron Whittle came up with the initiative after residents expressed concerns over the state of the town’s verges, paths and roads at a recent meeting between residents and Shropshire councillors.

He said: “The solution lies within our own hands. If we want to see our town well maintained then we will have to do more ourselves. There are lots of areas outside our homes including paths, verges and roads that need weed clearance, litter picking and similar easy work.

“We need a volunteer army to help keep our town spick and span, just as some turned out at my invitation to clear the riverside.”

He suggested the plan after realising that extra cash from Shropshire Council to tidy up verges and roadways was not going to be forthcoming. The authority had already diverted £5 million from its highways budget to help fund care services.

The mayor said the town council could do more but did not want to raise the council tax precept at a time when many people were struggling to make ends meet. Mr Whittle explained that without a band of willing volunteers to tackle the growing issue, the work was unlikely to get done.

He added: “The town council does what it can within its limited budget. Our direct labour force carries out a great deal of work that is not the responsibility of the council. But it is not enough. Of course we could do more if we increased our local Bridgnorth tax, but many of our residents struggle and most taxpayers would not welcome additional increases.”

He urged local residents to contact him to register as volunteers, adding: “Then we can see what can be done on a regular basis to maintain the town in the state we would like to see.”

There are already a number of organised cleaning groups within the town, many of which are looking for new volunteers.

Christina Webster, who runs a regular litter pick, backed the mayor’s call for volunteers. She said: “Pavements and lanes have become impassable due to overgrown weeds, shrubs, brambles, and nettles. There are weeds everywhere, on all the steps, along the roads. How some of the mums with pushchairs and older people manage I do not know.All the drains are blocked. They used to be cleaned out, but not anymore. I cannot remember the last time anyone saw a drain cleaner – no wonder we have floods.”

She said Bridgnorth had been ‘forgotten’ by Shrewsbury and it was not easy for the town to fight its corner with Shropshire Council and told the meeting: “Please can you people who have the powers, address the upkeep of our beautiful town of Bridgnorth?”

Bridgnorth Rights of Way Association help maintain local footpaths and meets bridal ways and their next meeting being held at Daniel’s Mill on August 1 at 6pm. Contact the mayor at ronawhittle@icloud.com.