Due to local government reorganisation plans, leaders of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Hyndburn Borough Council are pushing for the local elections next year to be postponed.
Cllr Munsif Dad, leader of Hyndburn BC, and Cllr Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen BC’s leader, have highlighted the detrimental impact on public funds that local elections might create if held in advance of the restructuring.
In a report to the Extraordinary Executive Board, Blackburn with Darwen BC suggests that the move would ‘maintain stability, maximise resources and reduce expenditure’ during reorganisation in Lancashire.
The report also argues that the delay could generate savings of around £200,000.
Cllr Riley said: ‘The Government has given councils the option to postpone elections previously in these circumstances. That is what we have requested.
‘It costs around £200k to hold an election. We would rather the money went on delivering services people want than on an election which would have to be repeated just a year later and on different ward boundaries.’
Among the reasons to back the decision, Cllr Dad highlighted the issue of short-term elections and additional costs that would be incurred by taxpayers if plans were to be delivered according to the current schedule.
Cllr Dad added that ‘postponing the elections would help avoid disruption and allow the new shadow authority to be established effectively’.
However, communities secretary Steve Reed last week told the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee that elections will be going ahead ‘in all the areas where they were told’.
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