Few councils are as affected by the double whammy of local government reorganisation and the sub-regional agenda as Halton Council, a unitary based around Widnes, by Merseyside.
Halton is the fifth-smallest unitary with a population of some 118,000. Its RDA is the North West, its police authority Cheshire, its local Learning and Skills Council Cheshire and Warrington, and it has its own waste authority.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Cheshire CC is bidding to become a unitary, while its local city region would be Liverpool. So, quite a mix.
Halton Council’s chief executive is David Parr, who was previously chief at Macclesfield BC, one of the districts threatened by a unitary Cheshire.
He says: ‘Clearly, there’s a drive for city regions, in our case being part of a Liverpool city region – and we support this in Halton.
‘However, if there was a unitary Cheshire, then integrating this with a city region would be complicated.’
He and his (Labour) leader, Cllr Tony McDermott, both argue that city regions are ‘not about reorganising local government or creating super-councils’. Adds David: ‘Nor are they about delivering local services. They’re about strategic services such as transport, investment, economic development and waste, where coming together can deliver cost efficiencies.
‘There’s no enthusiasm for adding another tier, and that’s not what city regions are offering. Nor do I see such a post as city region chief executive.’
Earlier this year, Mr Parr sent a copy of the Liverpool City Region Prospectus to then-communities secretary, Ruth Kelly, as well as publishing it on the council website ‘as part of the city region debate.’
He adds: ‘Ruth Kelly wanted to be satisfied we had a system in place for sub-regional delivery.’ The open letter which accompanied it stressed there would be:
l no super-council for the Liverpool city region
l no postcode changes arising from a city region
l no reorganisation of Halton
l no domination of Halton by Liverpool City.
Mr Parr’s letter also stressed that Halton already operated ‘locally, sub-regionally, regionally, nationally and internationally, and cited its four-star CPA as evidence that such a strategy plainly worked.
It added: ‘The way central government does business is changing. It is operating more and more through regional bodies, elected and unelected and Halton – and the Liverpool city region – must adapt its business practices to ensure it remains fit for purpose.
‘What is proposed will merely regularise what is, in fact, already happening.’
On the vexed question of unitaries, both argue that a unitary Cheshire would be too large an authority, with a population larger than that of Birmingham. The other bid is from Chester City for two unitaries, dividing the county in half.
Mr Parr says: ‘I think a two-unitary option would be better as it meets the Government’s neighbourhood agenda. I also believe unitary local government is the most effective structure.’ However, Halton has its own baggage with Cheshire, since the county last time round tried to absorb the-then district.
Both he and the leader believe size is an issue (see 18-19 in this week’s issue). Says Cllr McDermott: ‘All the evidence points to the fact that size is an issue.’
And Mr Parr adds: ‘We have to look at the geography of an area. It can take a day to cross Cheshire.
‘Halton’s own population is concentrated into a small area – which means we can deliver services better.’ n
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