Cumbria County Council has welcomed the news that the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has approved the proposal for a unitary council for Cumbria to go to a consultation stage.
The CLG has announced a so-called 'amber light' for Cumbria County Council's official bid 'One Council, One Vision, One Voice' , meaning the CLG will begin a consultation period with key stakeholders in Cumbria on the proposed formation of a single, or unitary, council for the whole county.
Including Cumbria, a total of 16 councils in England have also been given an 'amber light', they are:
- Bedfordshire County Council - for a single unitary authority for the county
- Bedford Borough Council - for a unitary Bedford
- Cornwall County Council - for a single unitary authority for the county
- Cheshire County Council - for a single unitary authority for the county
- Chester City Council - for two unitary authorities for the county
- Cumbria County Council - for a single unitary authority for the county
- Durham County Council - for a single unitary authority for the county
- Exeter City Council - for a single unitary authority for the city
- Ipswich Borough Council - for a single unitary authority for the borough
- North Yorkshire County Council - for a single unitary authority for the county
- Northumberland County Council - for a single unitary authority for the county
- Northumberland Districts - for two unitary authorities for the county
- Norwich City Council - for a single unitary authority for the city on existing boundaries
- Shropshire County Council - for a single unitary authority for the county
- Somerset County Council - for a single unitary authority for the county
- Wiltshire County Council - for a single unitary authority for the county
Ten councils have been told that their bids cannot progress to the consultation stage. There was no alternative proposal submitted to the CLG by any district councils in Cumbria. A final decision on which of the 'amber light' proposals have been successful is expected at the end of July.
Tim Stoddard, Leader of Cumbria County Council, said:
"The new council will belong to everybody in Cumbria, so everybody should have a say in how it is shaped. The Government will now be talking to our key partners in the county, such as the police, the Primary Care Trust, the district and parish councils, the Lake District National Park Authority, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and other major organisations on their opinions. We have already received support from many of these partners and we would like to thank them for their input so far and invite everyone to work with us on building an exciting new vision for delivering local democracy."
Joan Stocker, Deputy Leader and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said:
"The message from Government is clear - Cumbria's sums add up and Cumbria's case stacks up. One Council, One Vision, One Voice delivers an authority that saves tens of millions of pounds, reduces council tax bills, and gives its newly elected councillors the ability to make a real difference in their communities. We will be talking to the people of Cumbria about how the new council should work and how it will give them more say on how services are run locally."
Stewart Young, Leader of the Labour Group on the county council, said: "This is an important day. We strongly believe that the case for a unitary Cumbria is unanswerable and increasingly inevitable. The focus will now be on improving our bid and taking on board people's ideas and expectations. We would like to reiterate to all partners in the county that our door is open and we're keen to get everybody's input into shaping this vision."
Jim Buchanan, Leader of the Conservative Group on Cumbria County Council, said: "I'm delighted the Government has recognised the merits of the bid, but the time to be talking about a 'county council takeover' has gone. The county council has got this proposal to where it is, but it's not our proposal any more - it's everybody's. This would be a completely new authority with newly elected members. The structure laid out here will cost taxpayers less, give taxpayers more say in local decision making, and be less confusing for taxpayers who far too often find themselves passed from pillar to post among the myriad organisations in the county."
Timetable for change:
June 22 - CLG consultation period ends.
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 Cumbria takes over the running of council services.
Ends
Media enquiries to Gareth Cosslett, News Manager on 01228 606332
Notes
'One Council, One Vision, One Voice' shows how scrapping the current two-tier set up of Cumbria County Council and six district councils would save £22.2 million a year. 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. The cost of the changes will pay for themselves over two-and-half years - well within the five-year payback timeframe set by the Government.
'One Council, One Vision, One Voice' also shows how around 100 newly elected councillors would work in 20 to 30 Community Boards across the county. The Community Boards would work at a much more local level than current district councils and would have the power to shape and 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.
'One Council, One Vision, One Voice' is available in the county's libraries and also online at www.cumbria.gov.uk/onecouncil by following the link below. The web guide features a handy Q&A on what the proposal means, myth busters clarifying concerns that have been raised, background on the White Paper, a timetable of change, and also a message forum where the public can give their views on the proposal.
View the 'One council, One vision, One voice' web pages......