Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 17 Mar 2026 Rural Roads
"We see that across South Shropshire. My hon. Friend’s mother-in-law is a lovely lady and I was delighted to meet her the other week—I get a few points for that. We are finding that Shropshire council is putting cones in the potholes, because they are that big, or putting up …..." Stuart Anderson - View Speech
"The hon. Gentleman makes an excellent point. There is not one specific issue here; there are multiple issues, as I will come to.
Constituents have talked about the road just outside Ackleton. They tell me it is like driving in a third-world country. A local resident, Barry, commented to me, …..." Stuart Anderson - View Speech
"I do. The hon. Member raises a really good point. This is not just about a pothole in the road; it is about the impact on people’s lives and businesses.
That leads me on very nicely to my next point. This is not just about car damage; it is about …..." Stuart Anderson - View Speech
"I thank the hon. Member for raising an important point. Between us, we are starting to see that we can deal with this issue in multiple ways, and I really hope the Minister will take them on board.
"I thank my hon. Friend for raising that excellent point. We have to look at rural counties, which are not being given the fair consideration that they need. The Government are currently holding back almost £46 million, I believe, from Lib Dem-run Shropshire council, because it has not met their …..." Stuart Anderson - View Speech
"Thank you, Mr Stringer; you raise a brilliant point.
Before I conclude, I would like the Minister to address the support or approval that local councils need for community action to go ahead to help parish councils to fix certain areas, as they have in Devon.
"The hon. Member raises an important point—which I thought she might raise when I mentioned the local Lib Dem-run council in South Shropshire. For years, and under successive Governments, rural areas have not received the correct funding. That is not right; however, this is also about how the money is …..." Stuart Anderson - View Speech
"I thank the Minister for winding up, and I want to respond to two of the points she made. We talked about the funding, but we were calling for funding up to 2032, not 2030; and the incentive payment that was withheld is still withheld—it is not with Shropshire council, …..." Stuart Anderson - View Speech