Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

Another 'money-saving' scheme from County Hall.

Wiltshire Council, and the county council before it, used to provide match-funding for bus shelters.

Typically, if a parish wanted to provide a new shelter it would pay 50% of the cost and WC would fund the balance.

The scheme has now been withdrawn but Wiltshire Council will still provide technical advice on the siting of new bus shelters when requested to do so.

Although a saving to WC it won't actually save 'the man on the Clapham omnibus' a penny. The cost will simply be met by his parish precept rather than being shared between councils.

To be honest, I can see the logic for the full cost to be met by parish councils; it is their residents who will benefit and it means that spending on purely local projects comes from the local precept.

As there are some parish councils that don't precept (and therefore don't provide any services other than those they can con others into paying for) this could be a good way forward. If you don't levy a precept, your residents won't get any improvements to their neighbourhood and you will know who to blame when the next parish election comes round.