|
Ref: 304/07 31 July 2007
Split Cheshire ‘Disaster’ For Winsford, Northwich And Taxpayers –
Claim County Trio
Whitehall’s conditional recommendation to split Cheshire would be a disaster for the people of Winsford and the county’s council taxpayers - maintained local county councillors today (Tuesday).
Three executive members - all representing the Vale Royal area - stressed that the decision - if it ever came about - would cost tax-payers dearly, disrupt first class services and rob the town of its future as a seat of political power.
Said Councillor Nora Dolphin, Executive Member for Community and Communications: “The Government has not ruled out a single unitary. It is rightly concerned about the financial risks that a two unitary solution might bring.
“But its conditional recommendation for two unitaries would ruin Winsford’s chances of becoming the county’s political centre with all the economic benefits that that would bring, not only to the town but to the regeneration of Northwich as well.
“The headquarters of a new Cheshire Unitary would rightly be in Winsford, together with Fire and Police, at the heart of our great county.
“But in a split Cheshire, the seat of political power would be centred in Chester and Macclesfield and a county that has been around for one thousand years would be greatly weakened, becoming merely part of two city regions.”
Finance Executive Member Gretta Cousins estimated that the transitional cost of setting up two unitary councils in Cheshire would cost over-burdened tax-payers around £32.8m in transitional costs alone.
“When you consider the on-going cost and needless disruption and effect on services it makes you think why the Government are reputed to have ignored the advice of their experts and gone for the worst of all worlds.“ she said.
“The Government have indicated that they are looking at the idea of City Regions. In other words they are looking at the prosperity of the Shires to pay for the problems of inner cities.”
Councillor Shirley Harris, Executive Support Member for Children’s Services, said the Government’s letter informing Cheshire of its conditional recommendation is baffling. ”Its conclusion appears to justify the unjustifiable,“ she said.
Both authorities had been informed that there was a reasonable likelihood of their proposal achieving the outcomes specified by the criterion.
Yet Chester was told ‘there are risks to the two unitary proposals achieving the outcomes specified by the affordability criterion’ - and invited to undertake further work.
On the other hand Cheshire’s financial case was described as ‘reasonably robust with little risk that the proposals would be unaffordable.’
Added Councillor Harris: “We are also told that the Secretary of State considers there to be a broad majority in favour of a single unitary ‘amongst parishes, the voluntary sector, business interests and the public.”
A single unitary met all the criteria and was more affordable, but it appeared that the conditional recommendation has been made on the grounds that that it would be more remote than two - and therefore deliver worse strategic leadership.
Concluded Councillor Cousins: “A single council already delivers 80% of all the services enjoyed by the people of Cheshire, including education, social care, environment, libraries and trading standards. Hardly remote.
“The strategic leadership it enjoys has provided services rated excellent by the Audit Commission for four out of the last five years and one of the lowest council tax rises in the country over the same time.”
Notes to Editors: For further information please contact County Councillor Dolphin on 01606 852526, County Councillor Cousins on 01928 733823 and County Councillor Harris on 01606 79054. |