The Boundary Committee - WAWOS

With yet another delay in the long drawn out LGR process, it looks as though any reorganisation in Suffolk will never happen.

Or will it?

Clifford Smith has made another of his intelligent observations (EADT 20-07-09) whilst calling "for our MP's and local leaders to seize this opportunity and show the statesmanship needed to protect our services and save our money".

Perhaps though we need to ask more of them?

The word is our various councillors and local political leaders know the game is up so they need to start talking to each other again after what has been a very acrimonious couple of years.

However, they need to do more than talk.

With huge multi-million £ bills for the LGR process our councils and councillors, at all levels, must actively pursue new ways of working together to cover these costs and reduce council tax demands in the future.

The only way of doing this is to consolidate services and staff across councils, cut out all excess provision and outsource more functions to the private and/or voluntary sectors.

There is a great opportunity here to provide value for Suffolk council tax payers in a very challenging economic environment.

Are our political elite and senior council officials brave and bold enough for this task?

Maybe, one day, a unified and Unitary Suffolk?


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We've had our say, now can Wonder Woman deliver ‘One Suffolk’?

The deadline to comment on Local Government Reorganisation has passed.

Now it's up to Andrea Hill, but can she do it?

Can she save us from the ridiculous Rural/North Haven split and deliver the ‘One Suffolk’ option?

Will she;

- save Lowestoft from being assimilated into Norfolk?

- make Suffolk a force to be reckoned with in the East of England and Nationally?

- keep our Emergency and Essential services intact?

- demand our fair share of the National Health budget (we currently get just 80% of the National average)?

- allow our councillors their democratically elected say in the running of our County?

- deliver true localism and at the same time protect us from the NIMBY’s?

- cut excessive over bureaucracy at ALL levels of local government?

and finally,

- CUT OUR COUNCIL TAX?

Come on Andrea, show us what you’re made of!

Here’s to a Unitary Suffolk!

P.S. Apologies for the amateur cut & paste!!

Unitary Suffolk

This the first blog on the subject of a Unitary Suffolk.

Its basic aim is to create an easy to use forum to promote a single Unitary Authority for Suffolk.

Why?

Suffolk should not be split to please either the Labour Government or the various councils wishes - Officers and Councillors! If we split Suffolk, the County as a single structure will cease to exist

Why a single Suffolk Unitary?

In short, it's the simplest & cheapest option and will involve the least upheaval and cost. By integrating the 7 district and borough councils into the County Council (and vice versa), there could be the following savings and eficiencies;

- at least one layer of 'expensive' officers can be removed,
- service integration (and some centralisation),
- local delivery with existing district & borough offices,
- better public understanding, one councillor, one point of contact,
- reduction in number of councillors (from 380 to say 150),
- A single authority would have greater clout with Westminster, EEDA and Europe,
- Emergency planning would remain county-wide,
- Integration of IT and back-office functions,

These are only a few of the obvious advantages - what others can you think of?

What disadvantages are there apart from the size - a single authority covering 700,000 Suffolk residents?

We have been told the 'Status Quo' is NOT an option. If we are being forced to change, lets all agree that a Unitary Suffolk, incorporating the best bits of what went before, is our best option.

Are you listening Boundary Committee?

Please feel free to comment.

Here's to a Unitary Suffolk!

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