THE shadow charities minister, Nick Hurd, was in Hereford last week to outline new measures aimed at preserving rural services.

The Conservative MP was at All Saints’ Church ahead of further debate on the Sustainable Communities Act, which was passed in 2007 but is now being amended in Parliament.

Mr Hurd said: “Something needs to be done. We don’t know what it is but what we do know is local people need to be in the driving seat.”

Most, including recycling website chief Peter Martin from Junkk.com, wanted to know how the Act, which aims to give communities more power to save key services such as Post Offices, bank branches and shops, can actually be implemented.

Mr Hurd said parish councils were the way forward and that moves to “make it more worthwhile”

for those involved with the local councils were part of ongoing discussions.

Herefordshire was among a third of local authorities that submitted ideas before the Act was originally passed and put forward 15 local issues that were relevant.