RESIDENTS of Ribbesford are considering their options after a review into merging the community with Rock Parish Council was thrown out.

The community governance review was scrapped after a unanimous vote by Wyre Forest District councillors which received applause from the public gallery at a meeting last week.

After a consultation, Ribbesford residents said they did not wish to merge and will now look into forming their own parish council or push for representation on Bewdley Town Council.

Ribbesford resident David Jones-Percival, who spoke at the meeting, said the merger with Rock would not have been “the most sensible idea”.

“Our objection is not about money, we do not mind paying a precept for parish services but there are few communities that benefit from the merger,” he added.

“We would be happy to merge with Bewdley, Ribbesford has been linked with the town for a number of years. Our roads do not connect with Rock, they connect with Bewdley.”

Conservative district councillor Julian Phillips said: “The people of Ribbesford do not want to be merged. We started this process because we were required to. Ribbesford receives parish services from Rock and Rock should stop doing that now.”

Conservative Douglas Godwin, chairman of Rock Parish Council, said he was glad the review was now over.

“The people of Ribbesford should form a parish council. At the moment the residents of Rock are subsidising the people of Ribbesford which will stop.”