A model for a brand new local authority to save tens of millions of pounds and provide all council services across Cumbria was unveiled today.
The One Council, One Vision, One Voice document sets out a radical new vision for local government in Cumbria which could keep council tax bills down and give a new authority’s newly elected councillors the ability to make a real difference in their communities.
The document has been drawn up by Cumbria County Council and will, if council members vote in favour at the full council meeting in Kendal on January 18th, become an official bid to the government for the adoption of a single, or unitary, council for Cumbria.
It shows how scrapping the current two-tier set up of Cumbria County Council and six district councils would save £22.2 million a year, and how that money could be spent improving services and keeping down council tax increases. Council tax bills across Cumbria would be harmonised at the lowest level in the county and then increases would be fixed at four per cent or less for the first three years of the new authority.
One Council, One Vision, One Voice also shows how newly elected councillors, probably around 100 of them, would work in 20 to 30 Community Boards across the county. The Community Boards would work at a more local level than current district councils. They would have the power to run local services and get to grips with local priorities by involving the elected members and other organisations such as parish councils and the voluntary sector. This would create a stronger local democracy with decisions taken closer than ever to the communities they affect.
The transition from seven local authorities in Cumbria to a single unitary is expected to cost £19.6 million. The changes will pay for themselves over two-and-half years - well within the five-year payback timeframe set by the Government.
The proposed new structure would provide a single council and a single point of contact for all services currently being provided between Cumbria County Council and the six districts such as education, children’s social services, highway maintenance, adult social care, leisure facilities, social housing and waste collection and disposal.
The new authority would be able to fight Cumbria’s case for jobs, investment and resources and speak for the county on the national and international stage with a strong, single voice.
One Council, One Vision, One Voice has been backed by the three main political groups on Cumbria County Council.
Conservative Tim Stoddard, Leader of Cumbria County Council, said: "It’s not over-egging it to call this an historic opportunity for the county. We have the chance here for a fresh start for local government in Cumbria. We’ll need to be bold, put our own interests aside and concentrate on the public interest because what we are proposing is an end to Cumbria County Council and the six district councils. But the prize at the end of the road is a better future for the county under a brand new council. It could, at a stroke end the confusion of the two-tier system under which people struggle to understand which council does which job. It could give the county a single, strong, clear voice on issues that matter, it could improve democratic accountability and save the taxpayer millions upon millions of pounds. This is what we have been concentrating on - everything else is a side issue."
Joan Stocker, Deputy Leader and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: "All three political parties on Cumbria County Council have worked together on this. We have put our political differences aside so we can focus on what is right for the people of Cumbria. We all think this is the best way to make sure Cumbria's taxpayers get the best representation and the best value for money. What’s set out here is a recipe for strong local democracy which will genuinely involve local people and local organisations in setting priorities for their communities."
Stewart Young, Leader of the Labour Group, said: "The simple truth is that we have to grasp the opportunity offered by the Government for Cumbria to become a unitary authority area. The Government’s Strong and Prosperous Communities White Paper actually cited Cumbria as an example of the sort of area where a single council would serve the people better and make the money go further by spending it on services instead of unnecessary bureaucracy. We believe we are pushing at an open door. Cumbria will only have itself to blame if this chance to get better local government is missed."
Jack Richardson, Leader of the Conservative Group, said: "The benefits of this approach are abundantly clear and the absence of any real, viable alternative is obvious. There is a great deal at stake here for Cumbria - what's important here is that we will are not sidetracked or bogged down in territorial squabbles - now is the time for forward thinking, not in-fighting."
No decisions have been taken about where the new authority's headquarters would be, but the clear intention is to share employment opportunities and benefits around the county.
The vast majority of cost savings will be found in improved working arrangements, back office functions and from slimmed down corporate management costs. The intention is to invest extra millions in public services and not reduce front line staff numbers.
An electronic copy of One Council, One Vision, One Voice and appendices can be found at the link at the bottom of the page.
You can also view an independent financial case from Price Waterhousecoopers supporting the proposed reorganisation here: http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/eLibrary/view.asp?ID=16535 (Please copy and paste the link into your web browser to view the document)
A timetable for progress towards a unitary Cumbria can be found in the notes for Editors below.
ENDS
Notes for editors
The potential timetable
18 January 2007 - Full council meeting in Kendal. Cumbria County Council members vote on whether to put forward a bid.
25 January 2007 - The Government's deadline for bids for new unitary councils.
End March 2007 - Government to announce which bids it likes.
March to June 2007 - a 12 week consultation period with stakeholders in areas where the Government likes unitary bids.
End July 2007 - Final decision by Government on decision on which bids have been successful.
May 2008 - Elections to a new authority which will shadow, or co-exist alongside the county's existing set up for one year.
April 2009 - the new unitary council for the whole of takes over the running of council services.
Cumbria County Council decided to draw up One Council, One Vision, One Voice in response to the Government's Strong and Prosperous Communities White Paper.
One Council, One Vision, One Voice unitary submission document (750k PDF)