http://www.totalpolitics.com/blogs/index.php?disp=comments en-GB http://backend.userland.com/rss 60 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:36:32 +0000 meg hitchcock [Visitor] c455@http://www.totalpolitics.com/blogs/ Any Local Authority Reorginsation is going to cost substantial extra funding always associated with restructing,including (no doubt) hiring of external/outside consultants, racheting up of the winning councillors expenses and stipendaries etc..<br /> The sudden resurgence in the Devon unitary authority issues before the general election, or indeed anytime in the context of substantial budget cuts expected for Local Authority services-city or county-in the coming year is financially irresponsible if politically self serving. <br /> The sudden resurgence in the Devon unitary authority issues before the general election, or indeed anytime in the context of substantial budget cuts expected for Local Authority services-city or county-in the coming year is financially irresponsible if politically self serving.
]]> http://www.totalpolitics.com/blogs/index.php/2009/02/13/devon-unitary-authority-cllr-greenslade-#c455 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:28:53 +0000 Matt W [Visitor] c184@http://www.totalpolitics.com/blogs/ >BD: Say you argued that creating a unitary almost creates a democratic deficit, because you have fewer councillors over a pretty large area. Devon&#8217;s a large place<br /> <br /> Absolutely. First of all, when we talk about a democratic deficit in Devon, don&#8217;t forget the size and quality of the third tier of local government in Devon. We&#8217;ve got around 400 parish councils in the county, who bring democracy very close to the community.<br /> But we have recognised this issue [of a democratic deficit] in terms of our proposals, and we are proposing to have 28 community boards, each with their own budget, costed into our own figures, for the main market and coastal towns, which are the central hubs of community life in Devon.<br /> But on top of that, because Exeter is different to the wider county - it doesn&#8217;t have a parish council system - we would be establishing a city board for Exeter to continue to be that much closer to the residents of the city of Exeter, recognizing their important place in the county of Devon. I think that we will strengthen local democracy frankly, and at the same time save millions of pounds. <br /> <br /> That sounds like a county level version of unelected regional authorities.<br /> <br /> A unitary authority for a county the size of Devon is crazy, and a move in the wrong direction in my view.<br /> <br /> If we want a revitalised local democracy, devolution of responsibility must be down, not up. BD: Say you argued that creating a unitary almost creates a democratic deficit, because you have fewer councillors over a pretty large area. Devon’s a large place

Absolutely. First of all, when we talk about a democratic deficit in Devon, don’t forget the size and quality of the third tier of local government in Devon. We’ve got around 400 parish councils in the county, who bring democracy very close to the community.
But we have recognised this issue [of a democratic deficit] in terms of our proposals, and we are proposing to have 28 community boards, each with their own budget, costed into our own figures, for the main market and coastal towns, which are the central hubs of community life in Devon.
But on top of that, because Exeter is different to the wider county - it doesn’t have a parish council system - we would be establishing a city board for Exeter to continue to be that much closer to the residents of the city of Exeter, recognizing their important place in the county of Devon. I think that we will strengthen local democracy frankly, and at the same time save millions of pounds.

That sounds like a county level version of unelected regional authorities.

A unitary authority for a county the size of Devon is crazy, and a move in the wrong direction in my view.

If we want a revitalised local democracy, devolution of responsibility must be down, not up.]]> http://www.totalpolitics.com/blogs/index.php/2009/02/13/devon-unitary-authority-cllr-greenslade-#c184