|
Ref: 307/07 2 August 2007
Cheshire – “A County Worth Fighting For” - Chief Executive Tells His ‘Troops’
Chief Executive Jeremy Taylor today (Thursday) told the county’s largest workforce: “Cheshire is a county worth fighting for… and that is just what we will be doing.”
News that the Government are ‘minded’ to consider two unitary councils has been greeted with anger and disbelief among the county council’s 24,000-strong staff.
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 letter we received admits that our submission ticked all the boxes, concedes that the Secretary of State considers there are ‘risks’ to the financial case for two unitaries but is still minded to go for the latter.
“Perhaps understandably, our staff cannot understand why Whitehall seems prepared to risk increased costs and massive disruption to services which rank among the best.
“Nor can they fathom why the Government appears to prefer a flimsy case compiled by a disparate group of officers, who with the greatest respect to them, may possibly never have never run large strategic services.”
Mr Taylor revealed that Cheshire County Council would be asking to examine ‘every scrap of information’ which had contributed to the Government’s current view.
And it expected to be given the chance to comment on the new financial evidence which Chester City Council has been asked to provide to support its affordability case.
“Our financial and legal teams will be looking closely at every piece of information put before the Government “ said the Chief Executive.
“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 concerns that a single unitary would be seen as too large are unfounded.
Said Mr Taylor: “Her comment on the “risks that one authority would be seen as remote by local people” is a subjective assessment contained in the Chester case, which has little basis in fact.
“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.“ he said.
“The simple fact is that we have more people both living and more importantly, working in each district of Cheshire than any other organisation in the county and our submission devolved decision-making powers to local communities in a way never before considered.”
Meanwhile Cheshire County Council staff have been informed: “It’s business as usual. Nothing has changed and no final decision has been made.”
NOTE TO EDITORS: For further information please contact Ian Callister, Media Relations Manager on 01244 602216. |