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Debate calls over plans to scrap borough and district councils

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A council leader in Nottinghamshire has called for a debate over proposals revealed last week which would see Gedling Borough Council and other local district and borough authorities scrapped

The Conservative leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council, Simon Robinson, has said there has not been any debate or discussions about a plan to scrap district and borough councils.

Mr Robinson said he is not opposed to the idea in principle, but the districts need to be better informed about the proposals.

He said he had met the minister for local government, James Brokenshire, last week, who had stressed that a consensus would be needed between district councils and the county council for any plan to be taken forward.

It is believed Councillor Robinson is the first Nottinghamshire council boss to speak to the newly-appointed minister about the plans. The minister is understood to be ‘considering’ a letter from the county council requesting a meeting.

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Councillor Robinson also said ‘there has not been any dialogue’ between districts and the county about the plans.

He was speaking after the Conservative leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Kay Cutts, said she wanted to ‘get on with’ plans to dissolve the smaller district councils and create one, larger council – known as a unitary authority.

She said it was needed to remove duplication, save taxpayers’ money, and plug the financial demand caused by ever-increasing social care bills.

Speaking about meeting the Government minister, Mr Robinson said: “He would need an agreed solution between districts and the county, because there just isn’t the time or appetite to deal with a feud between districts and the county.

Cllr-John-Clarke
FIGHT: Gedling Borough Council leader John Clarke is against plans to scrap borough and district councils

“The other big issue is that any unitary solution would require parliamentary time, and with Brexit that is in very short supply.”

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Mr Robinson said he favours looking again at how local government is set up.

He added: “My view is that local Government does need re-organisation, but there needs to be planning and debate.

“I’m not saying that what would come out of that wouldn’t be some sort of unitary system, but you don’t start with the solution and work backwards, and I think that is what Kay Cutts is doing.

“My starting point is always going to be what is in the best interests for the 120,000 people who live in Rushcliffe.

“There are significant challenges both at district and at the county, and there needs to be much closer working between councils.

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“That could be unitary or the metro strategy which the city and Gedling are talking about.”

Another scheme which has been put forward by Nottinghamshire leader Kay Cutts is for four East Midlands counties and three East Midlands cities to work closer together in a ‘strategic alliance’.

Speaking about this plan, Mr Robinson, who represents the Edwalton Ward for the Conservatives, said: “I’m absolutely in favour of the whole area getting together. I think it’s key for the investment in the big ticket items, and for infrastructure, and I absolutely support that.”

A spokesman for the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We welcome authorities working together to boost the economy and improve services for people.

“We will consider all proposals once they have been submitted by local authorities.”

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