RICHARD Huffer, who represents Clee on Shropshire Council, is demanding to know how the authority will deal with a major financial shortfall.

He says that Shropshire Council is facing a ‘black hole’ in its finances of nearly £30 million but does not seem to know what to do.

The Liberal Democrat councillor says that services in Ludlow and south Shropshire face going into ‘meltdown’ unless a viable plan of action is put in place.

Members of the Liberal Democrat group say that they want Shropshire Council to come clean as to how it plans to deal with what they say will be a shortfall of £24.7 million.

Leading the call is Heather Kidd, a parliamentary candidate for Ludlow in 2010 and representative for Chirbury and Worthen.

"There is a large hole looming in the council’s budget,” she said.

“A combination of continued cuts backs in the grant from central government and a lack of initiative by the current Tory administration is leading us towards financial ruin.

"There are major challenges facing the council such as the adult social care bill but there seems to be little idea on how its finances will be managed in the medium and long term.

"Had the last leader lobbied government harder and fought for Shropshire we might be in a better place. The new leader is now talking to government but it is all too little too late.

"Rural areas like ours are really suffering, bigger councils are finding it hard but managing."

“The council's own strategy paper show a projected deficit of £16.8m in 2017/18, £17.7m in 2018/19 and 27.4m by 2019/20.

“This rises to £38M if the council doesn’t increase council tax by the maximum allowed over the next three years.”

Shropshire Council has looked at a range of options to save money including trying to get town and parish councils to take over services.

Ludlow Town Council has been discussing with other local councils a joint response to the problem.

Other cuts have included a reduction in youth services and a cut to the opening hours of libraries including in Ludlow.