A Wem town councillor has voiced his frustrations after the leader of Shropshire Council “dismissed” his question about how increasing council tax is impacting local families and businesses.

During Councillor Peter Nutting’s visit last month Councillor Peter White noted how the unitary authority has increased its council tax by 10 per cent in cash terms since 2009 and has done so again to ‘balance its budget’, and asked how the unitary authority expects people to balance their own budgets.

He told the Herald: “I received what I feel was a dismissive reply - and somewhat patronising - in regards to the welfare of families struggling to make ends meet and why the rates ‘must increase’.

“Cllr Nutting was seemingly more interested in presenting his schemes and ideas, regardless of the cost, and seemed wholly uninterested in the plight of people struggling with already increasing rates of taxation, be it business or council.”

He added: “People feel ignored and like they aren’t being considered by policy makers except when working out how much can be squeezed from them.

“No-one seems to be asking these questions but I’m committed to asking them and it’s disappointing that we don’t get the opportunity to ask them ourselves very often.People who have nothing to do with Wem, like Councillor Nutting, simply do not share the same concerns that we do for people in the town.”