Minister invited to see Council service delivery for himself

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is arguing against forced reorganisation because it says there is no argument so far which shows a new single-authority system would deliver better services for its residents than at present.

Now the council has written to Jim McMahon OBE, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, making the Borough Council’s case and repeating an invitation, issued in January, for the Minister to see the situation first-hand.

A spokesperson said:

Residents in The Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme already receive cost-effective, efficient services from a locally accountable authority.

 

I haven’t heard any argument which shows how forced change from the current system of local government in the Borough will improve what residents experience and it’s illogical that they should be forced to accept something which lowers current levels of service and performance.

 

One size doesn’t fit all and I think the Minister ought to see for himself what is actually happening here.”

A report, approved by a special meeting of Full Council:

• supports the creation of a Strategic Authority – without a mayor – to look at region-wide transport, infrastructure, sustainability and similar issues, but which would not be responsible for delivering day-to-day services;
• opposes a North Staffordshire Unitary Authority combining with the Staffordshire Moorlands and Stoke-on-Trent;
• does not currently back a unitary authority along the existing Staffordshire County Council footprint.

The submission, written to meet the Government’s deadline for interim reorganisation proposals, outlines several possible options for investigation if the move to unitary authority is insisted upon. They include, in descending order of preference:

• a single authority on the current Newcastle boundaries, which would be the same size as existing unitary councils in Torbay, and Windsor & Maidenhead;
• a single authority on the existing boundaries of Newcastle and the adjoining Staffordshire Moorlands, which would be larger than the Telford & Wrekin unitary authority;
• a ‘West Staffordshire’ single authority broadly based on the M6 corridor.

The spokesperson added:

We are open-minded about what happens next, but are convinced that the next steps should be guided by evidence demonstrating that any proposed change should be in the best interests of residents – and that Borough residents should have the final say in a referendum.”

Due to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s position, it hasn't signed the interim submission from the Staffordshire Leaders’ Board (SLB), a partnership of Staffordshire County Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the eight district and borough councils of Staffordshire, to Jim McMahon.

The SLB’s interim plan suggest two options, each with two unitary authorities:

• one unitary serving the current Staffordshire County Council footprint, while Stoke-on-Trent City Council continues unchanged;
  or
• one unitary serving Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Moorlands and Newcastle-under-Lyme, while a second unitary serves Stafford, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Tamworth, Cannock Chase and South Staffordshire.

The spokesperson said:

It is disappointing that the other leaders could not agree to note Newcastle-under-Lyme’s strong opposition to the North Staffordshire Unitary plan put forward by Stoke-on-Trent City Council in the Leaders’ Board submission.
 

However, the Staffordshire Leaders’ Board is a group working together to find the best way forward, and it is inevitable we may not agree on everything. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s position is well-publicised and no-one would expect it to put our signature to proposing something different.
 

These submissions are only interim positions and we will continue working in partnership to see what provides the best result for the residents of Newcastle-under-Lyme.”