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what another White Paper!!!!!

Before the ink has dried on the Government's White Paper, another one has been issued to reorganise local government. The latest big idea for local democracy is to occupy the ordinary councillor with representing "the people" and leave the council business to a directly elected few.

Excuse me, but I thought that representing the people was already our business and the council's business was the peoples' business too!

Of course this has already happens in the higher circles of local government, where a few councillors take on the full-time role of representing us at regional or national level. It's a lot easier to deal with a few like-minded professionals than an unruly bunch of well-meaning amateurs.

But I am concerned that the ordinary working man or woman with political aspirations and potential will be further marginalised because they cannot afford to give up a career and/or are not wealthy enough to accept a position of responsibility because of the demands imposed by making a living. Call me old-fashioned, but I always thought that local councillors should not only represent the people but also be representative of the people.

Locally, I suppose all elected councillors are equal; but some are more equal than others. Those who can afford to spend all week on council business will become the influential members in their local area. Strangely enough this is the sort of elected councillor that the government tells us it does not want anymore!

This kind of democratic deficit will do nothing for this county and should the County Council be successful in its bid for unitary status, then I fear it will become more of a reality than it already is.

 

 

A report for March 2007

 

 

I hope to have been to a lecture at the Combined University of Cornwall on Climate Change and Global Challenges this week, which should prove to be an interesting and informative discussion on a very emotive, important and topical issue.

Even though scientists are still unable to make categorical statements about the future climate, they have become more united in predicting that the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases will result in appreciable global warming.

So it appears that there have been several changes in circumstances that have influenced the attitude of politicians and demands for action about climate change. Not least is the Sir Nicholas Stern review whose starting point is that the world needs to put a price on carbon. Economic theory says prices are set by the forces of supply and demand, but the report says global warming represents failure of the market on a colossal scale.

As an ex-weather forecaster/meteorologist, I am heartened that an economist with very few preconceptions about climate change produced such a daring and original report.

However, as a local councillor I take the rather cynical view: is this really the government's attempt to avoid environmental disaster or, given the chancellor's track record on stealth taxes, simply an excuse to raise taxes again?

Finally, as a rural village sub-postmaster facing the real possibility of closure in the near future, I find the issue of climate change, CO2 emissions and the carbon footprint totally at odds with the government's rationale to reduce the Rural Post Office Network. The closure of these vital services in our villages will inevitably result in people using their cars more to make those necessary journeys to larger towns. Add to this the fact that, according to Kerrier District Council's Community Strategy, many of the districts oldest residents live in the remotest places and they certainly cannot rely on the virtually non-existent local transport system in these areas to meet their needs, concessionary bus travel or not!

District Councillor's report and activities during October and early November 2006

 

There was an extraordinary meeting of the council on the 17^th October concerning the publication of the Local Government White Paper. We were focused principally on the potential reorganisation of public service in the county and the joint working arrangements that the district councils are actively pursuing.

There was some harsh criticism of the Cornwall County Council's vaguely worded plan to look at a "different form of governance" which really means they are seeking the opportunity to attain unitary status.

 However, I feel that we must not fall into the trap of thinking re-structuring gives us all the answers. We should learn from the lessons learnt by the frequent restructuring in the Health Service and the suggested restructuring of the Police, which in many cases as come at an enormous cost to the taxpayer for very little improvement in public service.

Fortunately, the six district councils are united in opposition to the county's plan and complain both that the county has been secretive and Ms Kelly has failed to discuss their concerns.

A report on the scrutiny of the 2007/08 Portfolio Plans went before the Corporate Performance O & S Committee this week with 34 recommendations falling out of the report and impacting on the Budget setting process, council tax and subsequent service provision in Kerrier. It is hoped that the draft budget will go to full council for approval before Christmas. It is anticipated that the indicative council tax increase will be one if not the lowest in the county. 

I chaired a meeting of a combined Overview and Scrutiny Meeting on 23^rd Oct to prepare a response to the draft "Strategy and Action Plan" put together by the Cornwall Economic Forum in anticipation of the next round of Objective one Funding or convergence funding. The plan provides the initial evidence base for the convergence programme and access to funding.

There will be a press release from Kerrier District Council shortly to explain its motion of no confidence in the County's Waste PFI process and come October 2008 the increase in the cost of processing kerbside waste. In short it means that SITA will impose charges for recycling where none existed before and raise charges where they did. This is not without a significant cost to the tax payer and especially with public expectations for Kerrier to increase its recycling rates.

 

 

 

District Councillor's report and activities during October and early November 2006

 

There was an extraordinary meeting of the council on the 17^th October concerning the publication of the Local Government White Paper. We were focused principally on the potential reorganisation of public service in the county and the joint working arrangements that the district councils are actively pursuing.

There was some harsh criticism of the Cornwall County Council's vaguely worded plan to look at a "different form of governance" which really means they are seeking the opportunity to attain unitary status.

 However, I feel that we must not fall into the trap of thinking re-structuring gives us all the answers. We should learn from the lessons learnt by the frequent restructuring in the Health Service and the suggested restructuring of the Police, which in many cases as come at an enormous cost to the taxpayer for very little improvement in public service.

Fortunately, the six district councils are united in opposition to the county's plan and complain both that the county has been secretive and Ms Kelly has failed to discuss their concerns.

A report on the scrutiny of the 2007/08 Portfolio Plans went before the Corporate Performance O & S Committee this week with 34 recommendations falling out of the report and impacting on the Budget setting process, council tax and subsequent service provision in Kerrier. It is hoped that the draft budget will go to full council for approval before Christmas. It is anticipated that the indicative council tax increase will be one if not the lowest in the county. 

I chaired a meeting of a combined Overview and Scrutiny Meeting on 23^rd Oct to prepare a response to the draft "Strategy and Action Plan" put together by the Cornwall Economic Forum in anticipation of the next round of Objective one Funding or convergence funding. The plan provides the initial evidence base for the convergence programme and access to funding.

There will be a press release from Kerrier District Council shortly to explain its motion of no confidence in the County's Waste PFI process and come October 2008 the increase in the cost of processing kerbside waste. In short it means that SITA will impose charges for recycling where none existed before and raise charges where they did. This is not without a significant cost to the tax payer and especially with public expectations for Kerrier to increase its recycling rates.

 

 

 

Reveiw of the function and funding of local government

θTuesday, 08 August 2006

The future of Local Government in Cornwall

  

The White Paper on the future  of Local Government (Oct 2006)

Lyons report to review the function and funding of local government.

Cornwall County Council and the six district council's in Cornwall are supposed to be working together to ensure Cornwall's response to the White Paper is robust and co-ordinated. But it is becoming increasingly obvious that CCC along with a small handfull of other counties are fighting to convince ministers that they can overcome the costs of restructuring sufficiently promptly to avoid council tax rises in their bid to win unitary status. DCLG sources are clear that any short term restructuring costs must be repaid through savings in just a few short years - not 10 or 20.

There is a population threshold as part of the equation to win ministerial support, with most of the districts falling below this threshold. But though county has a large population, it is by no means certain to win ministerial support. The white paper may clarify whether permission for county to attain unitary status will only be given if district councils acquiesce in their own demise.

Further, a senior department for the Communities and local government source is quoted as saying that "Only a very small number of councils would be allowed to proceed with unitary plans. The likelihood  of unitary status is further underminded by Treasury pressure to keep costs down as it prepares for next year's comprehensive spending review. DCLG SECRETARY RUTH KELLY gave lukewarm support for restructuring at the LGA conference in July 2006, where she annnounced that though she would not stand in the way of councils wanting to change, they must prove local support and guarantees of future efficiency. But it was stressed that she is far more interested in outcomes for citizens than lines on maps. There will be a short window of opportunity for that small number of councils who are keen for change and who meet our criteria to seek unitary status. But she has no desire whatsoever to create a great distraction of activity on the restructuring issue. In the clear majority of county areas two tiers will remain and in all of these areas we will need better joint working. The status quo is not an option.

  

In my view it is the service to the people that matters and not the structure of the organization. Joint working, sharing capacity and information across the public sector is needed. Though it must be stressed that accountability and lines of democracy must be maintained. Mergers could limit the development of greater sharing and sometimes just the fact that an organization is likely to merge with others makes its managers understandably wary of making commitments.

A restructuring would effectively slow things down, and lose opportunities. The resources available for high-risk change programmes are finite and it would be better that these are focused on service improvements, rather than wholesale reorganization for its own sake.

 

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