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Ref: 322/07 29 August 2007
County Defends Its Right To Speak Out For Cheshire’s Council
Taxpayers Over White Paper Proposals
Cheshire County Council today (Wednesday) strongly defended its right to speak out on behalf of the county’s 250,000-plus council taxpayers.
Communications and Community Executive member Nora Dolphin hit back strongly at allegations from Macclesfield Borough Council leader Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald that the county had “wasted money” on its opposition to splitting Cheshire.
Said Councillor Dolphin: “Cheshire County Council believes that the idea of partitioning the county represents the worst of all worlds for its council taxpayers - and has a duty to say so in the strongest terms.
“It is they who will pay the price for the creation of two artificial authorities - a widely opposed ‘solution’- both in council tax bills and in terms of the disruption to ‘excellent’ services. “
Partitioning this county would create two weakened authorities without the strategic clout to compete against the interests of powerful neighbours Manchester and Merseyside.
“Cheshire is very much a county in its own right with a buoyant economy with a natural right to represent its people with a powerful voice at regional and national level, said County Councillor Dolphin.
Councillor Fitzgerald obviously rejects the idea that a split county could be the first steps towards the creation of City Regions - with each half of wealthy Cheshire helping to pay for the problems of the inner cities.
“How I wish I had his faith. Sadly all the signs point otherwise and we do not believe that the people of Cheshire would welcome their county being swallowed up into the City regions of Manchester and Merseyside.“
The Government has made it clear that no final decision has been taken on local government reorganisation in Cheshire and neither will any such decision be taken until November after all the fresh information has been considered.
“The Secretary of State believes that there are financial risks to the split achieving the outcomes specified by the affordability criterion and has rightly challenged district councils to submit further information to prove the financial viability of the proposals said Councillor Dolphin.
“At present they suggest a £30m saving whilst at the same time also creating another top level of bureaucracy for a second authority.
“Quite how this will be achieved is not clear. Could it be through redundancies at lower levels or cuts in excellent services. One thing we can say for certain is that the funding shortfalls currently affecting local government will not magically disappear.”
Cheshire County Council had written to all District Councils in advance of the White Paper asking them to join in discussions to find a mutual way forward. That suggestion was rejected.
Had it been accepted there would possibly have been no need for Councillor Fitzgerald to criticise Cheshire County Council - responsible for over 80% of all the services received by Cheshire residents - for bothering to alert them to the possible dangers ahead.
Note to Editors: For further information please contact County Councillor Nora Dolphin on 01606 852526 or Ian Callister, Media Relations Manager on 01244 602216.
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