ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 2007
Chester City Council is sponsoring a proposal to change local government in Cheshire - “People and Places - Serving People and Shaping Places in West and East Cheshire” proposes two new unitary councils in Cheshire to replace the existing two tier, seven authority, structure. This is a summary of the proposal and its benefits. The full submission can be viewed and downloaded on line at www.chester.gov.uk/people and places.
Why are we sponsoring a proposal?
Local Government is changing across England. The Government has made it clear that the current ways of working and service delivery no longer meet the needs of communities. The White Paper, “Strong and Prosperous Communities” presents a challenge to all local authorities to improve services, reduce costs and give people a greater say in local decision making. The Government is challenging local authorities to show how they can also provide better local community leadership and a stronger voice in the region and in Whitehall. Chester City Council’s long held belief is that unitary local government is the only effective way through which communities and other stakeholders can participate, influence and benefit from the local leadership and good quality services that are at the heart of local government. Unitary local government is already in place, successfully, in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and large parts of England.
The proposal
We have looked at the government’s criteria and our own principles and concluded that two authorities in Cheshire can best meet the needs of people now and in the future. The proposal is to create two new authorities in Cheshire to replace the existing seven. The City of Chester & West Cheshire Council comprised of the current districts of Chester, Ellesmere Port & Neston and Vale Royal Population - 322,000 Cheshire East Council comprised of the current districts of Crewe & Nantwich, Congleton and Macclesfield Population - 352,000 For further information contact Syd Jones Corporate Policy and Research Manager Chester City Council Town Hall Chester CH1 2HS tel 01244 402132 email syd.jones@cheshire.gov.uk
Why have we chosen the areas we have?
Our proposals provide an effective solution for the whole of Cheshire. They are based on natural, independent socio-economic areas that truly reflect the way people in Cheshire live their lives and the way Cheshire is viewed by others. Both are of a size and capacity to deliver all local government services effectively….yet remain local enough to ensure effective community representation and local influence over decisions.
The proposals….provide strong strategic areas which:
• reflect the real, but separate, socio-economic subregions connected to Greater Manchester in the east and Wales, Merseyside and Liverpool in the west will have real influence and credibility in the North West region, promoting relevant social and economic areas are economic drivers, pivotal to North West regeneration and prosperity will have influence in the development of Liverpool and Manchester City Regions, the Northern Way and surrounding areas and how these impact on and benefit Cheshire.
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The proposals…can empower communities and:
• • represent real areas within which people live, move around and work are logical areas for community planning and working with partners making sense for proper partnership working provide strong, effective leadership for communities that already have common identity and affinity deliver simplified democratic and local accountability give communities influence over service delivery provide better opportunities for area working and effective engagement with parish councils and voluntary organisations
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The proposals...will provide excellent value for money and will
• • • • complement the existing health, police, and fire delivery arrangements attract quality members and officers to develop high quality services enable the delivery of the full range of local authority services efficiently and from the local customers point of view eliminate the cost, confusion and duplication of two tier working
How much will it cost...how much will it save?
For any unitary proposal to be successful it must not cost local residents or the government extra money. After a rigorous financial analysis we are confident that with two unitary councils: • • • there will be a one off transitional cost of £14.1million which will be paid back by 2013, and from then on they will save at least £16.3m each year from 2013 when the costs of creating the new authority are paid back. a one off £6.8m investment will bring council tax levels down to the lowest level in each new council area over the next four years.
It is important to note that the changes we propose will not in themselves reduce council tax.
How have we achieved this?
Most of the savings will come from merging seven councils into two, which results in fewer members and senior managers. There will also be fewer resources needed in central support and we will be able to provide all services more efficiently. In addition we estimate that a further £7.8m can be saved by changing the way front line services work in just two councils rather than seven.
What do we aim to provide?
The aim of the new authorities will be to work with partners for the benefit of communities and create a “virtual” single unified public sector bringing together, for the first time, agencies working to a coherent plan for a coherent area. The authorities will be able to work effectively with partners in service delivery and in local communities. Our aspiration is for authorities that will put people and place at the heart of what they do. We will concentrate meeting needs that effect people personally every day throughout their lives, and the environment within which they live.
We aim to... ...Create opportunities for people to achieve their full potential...
...integrating and co-ordinating all services that directly affect people’s education, care and wellbeing, regardless of who provides them; and
...Enhance and protect places which people value and within which they can prosper...
...shaping and maintaining healthy, clean, prosperous and safe cities, towns, villages and neighbourhoods where people will be proud to live and work.
The role of Members
Our proposal is for two councils comprising 72 and 81 members for City of Chester and West Cheshire and Cheshire East, respectively. There will be a reduction of the number of councillors by about 50%. Each councillor would represent an approximate average electorate of 3,500 based initially on the existing county divisions. There will be “all out” full council elections every four years. Full council will elect an executive leader, who in turn will select the council cabinet. The executive Cabinet will comprise 8 members, including the Leader, with responsibilities aligned to key priorities including children young people and families, protecting vulnerable people, community safety and, environmental management. We plan to develop area working and have devolved decision making and budgets to area committees wherever this is practical and appropriate. In this we way we aim to provide local influence over local issues. Area committees will enable parish councils, and voluntary organisations along with partners and the communities to get more involved in planning and service delivery. We also aim to make local committees more influential in the “bigger” decisions taken by cabinet and council. The importance of the roles that civic leaders play as part of our ‘living history’ needs to continue to help cement community cohesion and sense of place. We want the Lord Mayor and Sheriff in Chester and the other Cheshire Mayoralties to be retained. Our proposals provide better opportunities for members to be influential and involved in the decisions that affect their communities. They will also be more effective in their engagement with the people they are elected to represent.
The role of officers
We plan a simplified and streamlined top management structure with a reduction of about half the current senior management posts. There would be a four strong management team working with the members. The Chief Executive with overall responsibility who will work with three corporate Directors one responsible for all People Issues, one responsible for all Place Issues and one for securing the necessary resources to achieve the councils objectives (performance and capacity).
What happens now?
The government are looking at all the proposals now and we have had good feedback about the strength of our proposal. We also want to work with you to shape what we do. We would welcome your views and are keen to meet you to develop our plans with you. We ask you to reflect on two things. First whether a move to a unitary solution will help you do your job or meet your needs better and second on what basis the authorities should be created. In considering this issue we ask you not to restrict your thinking to your relationships with the existing local authorities but whether two new local authorities could make better sense for all partners working together in these areas. These are new councils with a new start. The government will announce at the end of March which way they think local government in each county area should go and there will then be some consultation on proposals. A final decision is expected in July. Any change will take effect from April 2009.