Ludlow Town Council has released the results of its Shaping Our Future Together survey, a community engagement initiative launched both online and in print—including distribution through Local Ludlow Magazine—to better understand residents’ priorities at a time of increasing financial pressure on Shropshire Council. The survey received over 160 responses, offering valuable insight into how residents experience local services and what they believe should be prioritised in the years ahead.

Although the response rate represents around 1.6% of Ludlow’s population, the feedback still offers valuable insight into the issues residents care most about, especially regarding the town’s visible environment and public spaces.

Overall satisfaction with Ludlow Town Council showed a broad spread of views:

• 32.10% of respondents reported positive satisfaction
• 41.36% were neutral
• 26.55% expressed dissatisfaction

A high proportion of neutral responses suggests that many residents are unsure which services the Town Council is directly responsible for—an issue reflected throughout the survey. Many comments referenced services such as highways, waste collection and environmental maintenance, which are services currently delivered by Shropshire Council rather than the Town Council.

Despite this the survey revealed strong and consistent priorities. When asked to rank services currently delivered by the unitary authority, residents placed street cleaning as the highest priority, followed closely by Ludlow Library, which continues to be recognised as a valued community asset. Mid-ranking priorities included paths and verge maintenance, fly tipping and graffiti removal, and public planting. Other play areas in Ludlow were most frequently ranked as the lowest priority.

The findings present a strategic opportunity for Ludlow Town Council to strengthen its leadership role, improve visibility, and advocate more strongly for the issues residents care about most.

Respondents praised:

• Ludlow’s green spaces and public realm
• The market and its contribution to the town’s character
• The commitment of councillors and volunteers

Areas identified for improvement included:

• Cleaner streets and better maintenance
• Clearer communication about responsibilities
• Stronger leadership and follow through
• Greater visibility of Town Council activity and impact

A spokesperson for Ludlow Town Council said the survey “provides a valuable snapshot of how residents experience the town and what matters most to them. It gives us a clear mandate to focus on visible environmental quality, strengthen our advocacy role, and ensure residents can see where the Town Council is making a difference.”

In response to the survey findings, we will strengthen partnerships with local community groups and will consider these opportunities further at a future Council meeting.

We will also take steps to clearly communicate the respective roles and responsibilities of the Town Council and the unitary authority, improving public understanding and helping to manage expectations.

We will position the Town Council as a proactive community leader and advocate, particularly in relation to street scene and environmental quality. At the same time, we will enhance how we communicate our work, ensuring residents can more clearly see the difference we are making.

Using the survey results, we will identify a clear set of priorities, with a strong focus on high-visibility issues, including street cleaning and environmental maintenance, that matter most to residents.

We will also develop a more structured approach to engagement with the unitary authority, enabling us to work collaboratively on shared priorities such as street cleaning and environmental maintenance. In addition, we will begin preparatory work to explore potential service devolution in the areas residents have identified as most important, ensuring we are ready to respond to future opportunities.

Results from the survey can be viewed here.