Cheshire will battle plans for an East-West divide

Aug 3 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

CHESHIRE will battle Westminster over plans to merge its six borough councils and one county council into two unitary authorities.

The county’s chief executive, Jeremy Taylor, last night vowed to fight the government proposals, which would split his authority into East and West Cheshire.

Mr Taylor described the case for the changes as “flimsy”, and said the Government had admitted there would be risks involved.

He told his workforce: “Cheshire is a county worth fighting for, and that is just what we will be doing.”

The Government has said it is “minded” to consider approving the simultaneous mergers and split.

Cheshire wanted to merge all the borough councils and county council into one “super authority”, but the Secretary of State has said there was a risk that would be seen as too remote, by local people – an assertion Mr Taylor disputes.

“Just how a local authority which has been responsible for over eighty percent of all services provided so well to the people of Cheshire for many years in every community, can possibly be too large or remote is not clear,” said Mr Taylor.

“The recommendation – albeit conditional – seems to fly in the face of both the evidence before government and indeed, its own conclusions.”

The Government’s decision last month means that Vale Royal Borough Council will join Chester City Council, Ellesmere Port and Neston Council and Cheshire County Council in the delivery of all services for the west of the county. Mr Taylor said Cheshire would ask to examine “every scrap of information” which had contributed to the Government’s current view.

He said: “Our financial and legal teams will be looking closely at every piece of information put before the Government.

“We believe that our submission met the criteria in every respect and are seriously worried about the impact on our service users, council taxpayers and Cheshire-wide policies, introduced for their benefit.”

The Secretary of State has also said concerns a single unitary would be seen as too large, are unfounded – which supports Cheshire’s case.

Meanwhile, other political leaders have welcomed the proposals.

Leader of Vale Royal Borough Council, Cllr Les Ford, said he was “ecstatic” when he heard the news. .

He said: “I think it is a superb outcome, a single county would have been far too big and unmanageable.

“This is a chance for districts to put their imprint on things.”

Leader of Vale Royal’s Labour Group, Cllr Brian Lloyd, added: “t is good news for the whole of Cheshire. If it wasn’t the best option for us, and for the whole of Cheshire, it would not have gone through. There is no doubt it is the most robust solution.”

And Ellesmere Port and Neston Council’s leader, Cllr Justin Madders, added: “Local residents will really notice the difference when they have just one local council to provide their services.”

Meanwhile, Cheshire County Council’s 24,000 staff have been informed they should conduct business as usual, and no final decision had been made.

liammurphy