Harrogate Borough Council
Menu
Local people say NO to a single unitary council for North Yorkshire
May 8, 2007 North Yorkshire
residents have delivered a resounding NO to plans to create a
single unitary council providing all services across the whole of
North Yorkshire - 77% preferred instead to see the existing
district and county councils working more effectively
together.
Local people from across the county took part in an
independent survey last month commissioned by the North Yorkshire
District Council Network. Leading district
councillors were concerned that residents were not getting a chance
to have their say in the debate over the creation of a single
council.
And they found that the majority thought the area
is too big to be served by one authority and that a single council
would be too remote and less in touch with local people's
needs.
Leading research agency Ipsos MORI was
commissioned to gather opinion. A random sample
of people in all seven areas of the county Craven, Hambleton,
Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby took part
in the telephone survey.
"Nowhere in central government's consultation
plan do the 582,000 who live in North Yorkshire feature the very
people who these changes are going to affect most," said Councillor
Arthur Barker, speaking on behalf of Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate,
Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby.
"So we have asked the questions for them we hope
they now will listen to the answers. As we
expected the residents of North Yorkshire do not want to see a
single unitary created for the county in fact 69% of them said the
current system works well for them.
"And a massive 75% agree with our view that one
council for whole county will be too remote and less in
touch. Added to that, 71% say the area is too
big to be served by one authority and that councillors would have
less power to improve things in their local
area.
"It is vital that these results are taken into
consideration the public have spoken and they have said NO to a
single council for their county."
He said the survey's other main findings
are:
- after consideration of the issues over half (55%) disagree that there is a need for a change to a single council, with just one in three (32%) favouring it
- residents do not consider the present arrangements to be perfect 55% say they find it confusing but more than 70% recognised the roles of the district councils and most of the services of the county council
- 68% are satisfied with the way in which their district council runs the area
- 81% said they would still prefer a single point of contact
- 90% said all council leaders should meet regularly to take the needs of the county forward together
- 48% disagreed that a single council would be more efficient 37% agreed
- 54% say the change would be too disruptive
"We went to Ipsos MORI because we wanted a true
picture of what local people think. The
questions were formulated by MORI, were impartial and the survey
was conducted with a representative sample of people across the
county," he added.
"Creating a single council will take the 'local'
out of local government it would create a body too large to cater
for the diverse rural and urban needs of North
Yorkshire. We believe that the best way forward
is to keep the present two tier system but with increased
partnership work something we all signed up for only last
year.
"We have already agreed to create 34 one stop
shops across the county where all council services can be accessed
by local people that process is only being hampered by this
debate. We were also working on improved
efficiencies in waste management and transport.
These improvements do not need a single unitary authority in order
to happen."
Central government announced in March that North
Yorkshire County Council's bid to create a single unitary council
for the county was one of 16 to go forward for further
consultation. That consultation ends on June 22
to add views and for more information log on to www.structures@communities.gsi.gov.uk
or Unitary Structures Consultation team, Zone 5/E8, Eland House,
Bressenden Place, London, SWIE 5DU
- Ipsos MORI interviewed a representative sample of 2,007 residents aged 18+ across the North Yorkshire area by telephone between 11 and 17 April 2007
- Full details of the survey can be found at www.hambleton.gov.uk
MORE INFORMATION
Aly Thompson (press officer) on 01609
767063;
Cllr Barker on 01677 422239;
Peter Simpson (chief exec Hambleton District
Council) on 01609 767001
NB TO NEWDESKS
For quotes from council leaders in your 'news'
area please contact the individual council press officers concerned
at Craven, Harrogate, Ryedale, Selby and Scarborough.
|
Phone:
01609 767063
Email:
aly.thompson@hambleton.gov.uk
|