Cheshire councils shake up to go ahead

Dec 18 2007

Cheshire’s county council and its districts are to be axed and replaced by two all purpose unitary authorities, in a move estimated to save £16 million a year, Local Government Minister John Healey announced tonight.

This comes after proposals published in the summer, followed by detailed consultations.

Under the scheme announced in a Commons written statement the number of councils in Cheshire will be reduced from seven to just two, under a successful proposal put forward by Chester City, Vale Royal District, Macclesfield Borough and Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough.

Mr Healey also announced that plans to launch further consultations on proposed changes in Bedfordshire will be published tomorrow.

Mr Healey said on Cheshire: ``I announced on December 5 that there remained alternative proposals for the whole area concerned.

“Having now considered all the information and representations available to her, including the very large volume of additional material that she has received since July, the Secretary of State (Hazel Blears) remains of the view that there is a reasonable likelihood that, if implemented, both proposals would meet the outcomes specified by each of the criteria” set out in the call for proposals in 2006.

“Overall, she has decided that it is more likely that the long term outcomes around strategic leadership, neighbourhood empowerment and value for money and equity on public services would be delivered to the greater extent by the proposal for a two unitary Cheshire.”

He said: “She has therefore decided to confirm her earlier ’minded to’ decision, and accordingly intends to implement the proposal for two unitary authorities in Cheshire.

Mr Healey said: “It is now for all the councils in Cheshire - their members and employees - to work constructively and imaginatively together to deliver two new unitary councils that will achieve their full potential for local residents. Local people will rightly expect nothing less than their successful delivery.”

The Communities and Local Government Department commented that it has been estimated that the changes would save over £16 million per year, which could be used to directly improve front line services or cut council tax bills.

The new structures would also improve services and strengthen both leadership and the involvement of local people in how services are run.

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3 COMMONS Councils

Mr Healey said tonight: ``The two-unitary proposal submitted to us following invitation has demonstrated through rigorous assessment that it can create flagship new councils improving services and opportunities for local people and bringing potential savings for council tax payers.

“These two new authorities must now be allowed to make those benefits reality and establish their own democratic legitimacy. Central Government’s job is to let them get on and deliver, whilst ensuring important protections for staff.”

In his statement, Mr Healey said that on Bedfordshire he confirmed earlier this month that Ms Blears remained “minded” to implement Bedford Borough Council’s proposal for it to become a unitary authority “subject to there being a satisfactory proposal for the rest of the county area”.

She had invited the other councils in Bedfordshire to make proposals for future unitary structures.

Mr Healey said: “We have now received a response to this further invitation from the remaining district councils in Bedfordshire - Mid and South Bedfordshire District Councils.”

He added: “We will tomorrow be launching a consultation seeking the views of partners and stakeholders in the areas affected by the proposals for Bedfordshire” including local authorities, the wider public sector, the business community and the voluntary and community sector.