The Daily Post on Thursday ran an
article yesterday regarding an agenda item on Thursday's Council meeting.
The article titled "
Conwy County opposes cut in councillors".
I'm quoted in the paper: "
Cllr Jason
Weyman commented on the
LGBCW’s “bizarre and strange” proposal: “It will rip counties apart and reform them and I just can’t stand back and watch that.”"
I have posted on this subject a few times before:
http://jasonweyman.blogspot.com/search/label/Boundary%20Commision. I first became aware of the Local Government for Wales Boundary Commission's instruction to review all Electoral Divisions in each of Wales' 22 authorities.
Legislation means that such a review has to be performed every 10 years, as such the review has to happen at this time.
My concerns are with the extent the the Commission are making Proposal that will cause extremely significant changes in how the authorities are governed.
You only have to read a selection of the blogs and the press to appreciate that a lot of people are disillusioned with government both national and local, and hence I can see why people will feel that a reduction in the number of Councillors is no bad thing.
Personally I don't have an issue with reducing the number of Councillors, as long as what is left makes sense and will improve how the Council operates and is practical for a Councillor to fulfill there role.
So far the Commission has issued 3 draft proposals for Newport, Neath Port Talbot and our neighbouring authority
Denbighshire. The proposals from
Denbighshire are must interesting because the mix between Rural and Urban areas is quite similar to
Conwy.
You can see the proposals from the Commission's web page:
http://www.lgbc-wales.gov.uk/And selecting "Electoral Reviews".
The results form the Draft Proposals in
Denbighshire I have discussed before, they are proposals are include the reduction of Councillor from 47 to 40, but more concerning is the reduction in the number divisions from 30 to 18. In Newport they are reducing the Divisions from 20 to 12 and in Neath Port Talbot from 42 to 19.
This will result in more Multi-Councillor divisions Newport and Neath Port Talbot has more 4 and 5 member divisions, and
Denbigshire has lost about 12 single member division and has more 3 and 4 member divisions.
From the Electorate/Resident viewpoint this will mean that you are part of a much larger division, but would be represented by more Councillors. Take
Llandudno or
Colwyn Bay for instance, based on what the Commission has done in
Denbighshire each Town could have just 1 super-sized Division with 5 members. Some may like this idea because you will have a better choice on who to ask if you need assistance. But because the area is so large the Councillor you ask may not know the detail of the area you live. It will also mean that the more proactive Councillors will be to busy to cope with all the issues.
From a Councillor view point it would mean that we would move from responsibility in a current 2 member division of around 3500 electorate to an area covering 8000+ electorate. It will mean we are more removed from the electorate than we are at the moment. In a rural area the implications are more profound when you add in the geographical size of the area that a Councillor will have to cover. The term "local Councillor" will in my view become a joke.
One of the problems is that the Commission are limited by the "Building Blocks" which are the Community Wards. These can not be changed as part of this review. The Community Wards are the areas that make up Town or Community Councils. In my view if the Government was serious about reforming/revamping Local Government they should local at the whole hierarchy of democracy and not just tinker with different levels at different time.
The other concern expressed is the experience the Commissioners have in Local Government. We would expect an independent body tasked with reviewing a part of Local Government would have at least representation from people with experience in the field. If you look at the biographies of the commissioners there is a concerning lack of history in this area:
http://www.lgbc-wales.gov.uk/about_e.htmAnother consideration at this time is that of the Financial Implications of the changes. Although a reduction in the number of Councillors will save on Allowances, the cost of the change is the concerning point. Especially at a time when we are threatened with the future of reduced funding from Central government and the fact we are going to have to make at least £5Million saving every year for the next 4 to 5 years. There are more critical issues to solve instead of working on restructuring the Council to the extent suggested.
Now I appreciate that some may have the view that Councillors are facing the a similar prospect of "Turkey's voting for Christmas", but as I've tried to tackle in the above it is the means in which the changes are being suggested that are concerning.
I have made representations to the Commission both from a Personal viewpoint but also from one representing the Council as the Chairperson of the Electoral Review Task & Finish Group, which was the role I took on Thursday at the Council meeting.
What I should have added earlier is that the words "strange" and "bizarre" where themselves quotes I was using from other people. Both where comments I heard while at the Member Development Conference in Cardiff on 19th November. At the conference I asked a question of the speakers about the proposals coming out of the Boundary Commissions reviews. Steve Thomas the Chief Executive of the Welsh Local Government Association used the word "strange" and Dr Brian Gibbons, AM, Welsh Assembly Minster for Local Government used the phrase "bizarre". Both of these parties have written to the Boundary Commission to express there concerns.It is The Minister for Local Government that will ultimately make the decision as to whether to implement the recommendations from the Commission. If the current Minister (things may change at the end of next week) is using that term already then it does beg the question why he is letting the Commission potential waste the next 18 months carrying on reviewing the other authorities without redefining the Commissions Instructions. A action from Thursday's Council meeting was that the Leader should write to the New First Minster to express our concern in the process.
