The Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council has raised “serious concerns” to plans to cut the number of local authorities in Wales from 22 to eight.
Councillor Keith Reynolds reiterated the authorities vow to “stand-alone” after the Welsh Government announced plans for local government reforms.
Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews put forward the case for merging Caerphilly with Newport, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Monmouth, yesterday, June 17.
He claimed “the case for fewer local authorities in Wales is compelling” and the merger would “drive funding into improving frontline services”.
But Cllr Reynolds said the reform would have a serious impact on local democracy, putting the Labour-run council at odds with the party in Cardiff Bay.
He said: “I have serious concerns about these latest Welsh Government proposals, which in my view , if enacted would signal the end of local government and local democracy as we know it – we would be left with only regional and national Government.
“Serious consideration must be given to the far-reaching implications of these proposals and a full and thorough consultation needs to be held involving all interested parties before any decision is made about the future of local government in Wales.
“Our position has not changed and we still maintain that Caerphilly should stand alone.
“We are a large, well run local authority with a proven track record of delivering quality services to residents. Our focus remains on serving the needs of our local community and targeting our limited resources effectively.”
Yesterday Cllr Colin Mann, leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly Council blasted the proposals saying a return to Gwent with the addition of Caerphilly would create “an unwieldy and disparate authority”.
Cllr Mann said: “This back to the future plan shows a huge lack of vision by the Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews, who appears to be completely out of touch with the workings of local authorities.
“Devolution should go further than Cardiff Bay. It should be about local accountability and delivering good quality services to residents locally but we appear to be faced with a government that thinks the answer to everything is to centralise.
“The Labour Welsh Government is setting back the justification for real devolution not enhancing it.”
The Cardiff Assembly seems to be intent on concentrating power at Cardiff, with councils merely providing local depots and offices. Council mergers of the type proposed will be bad for the people of Wales. When both Keith Reynolds and Colin Mann, both very experienced and committed councillors, voice concerns of this nature alarm bells should ring in the minds of everyone in Wales.
Do you not the think the number of senior councilors speaking out are doing so through fear of their positions? With a merger there will not be so many leadership positions there meaning Keith Reynolds will be demoted to a low-level, local councilor.
I can’t speak for them, or their reasons, it does not alter the fact that what they say rings true in my ears.
I think there may well be something in what you suggest, ten or more
Council leaders too many. but, why would Keith Reynolds, your example
for instance, be `demoted`? Clearly he is probably one of the more
experienced leaders,if not the most senior, experienced Councillor of
the suggested merged Councils.
Neither do I accept your
assertion that any of the leaders will be `demoted`, at all, they may
lose a title here and there, but, there is no doubt that the leaders and
deputy leaders will make up the `Super` new Cabinet of the new
Authority, these will be larger Cabinets with probably `Cabinet Members`
for a Department, with perhaps a Deputy Cabinet Member for the same
department.
As the proposals in our area cover three existing
Councils your assertion is even less likely, with one leader and three
deputy leaders.Caerphilly already works that system. So in reality the
three existing leaders keep thier seniority, and probably, because the
new Councils are enlarged Authorities, with larger populations the
salaries of Cabinate members will reflect that.
So, why, or for waht benefit would Councillor Reynolds oppose the changes on the grounds you suggest?
Prestige. It does not always come down to a speculative future salary. Who wants to be a deputy when they could be a leader? Who wants to lose their power as leader to put up with the power of a deputy? Who wants to have someone else having an impact through their decisions on your turf? It is a pride thing.
If you ever watched series 5 of Waterloo Road, the school merged with another school, the existing headteacher kept her job as headteacher of the enlarged school on a larger salary, but the executive head was a micromanager, the executive head kept making the decisions and she felt redundant. She had lots of hurt rice. It is the same here except the executive head is the leader and the deputy is the head.
Your original comment related to the statements made by Kieth Reynolds, leader of the Caerphilly Council. So, I suspect you must know him well in order to, specifically and not broadly,, conclude that his contribution to the reorganisation debate is based solely the fact the he is motivated in his public life in a race for `Prestige.
Lets not forget that ALL Councillors are elected by us, no exceptions that I am aware of in our area, and, to suggest they would go through that process, any of them, every four years and all their political lives with the aim of reaching the position of leader, (particularly in Caerphilly over the last seven years or so) as a matter of personal `Prestige`. is nonsence of course. And What I know of the Caerphilly Council Leader, simply having attended meetings with him, he would not be motivated by Prestige, or, some sort of despiration in the prospect of not being a `Leader`and clinging on to the position.
I suppose there are exceptions, but I think you will find them in the lower orders of elected office, Community Council level for instance in which one observes, year after year, sycophantically, and politically aligned individuals, clinging onto minor office, in order to adorne themselves in civic owned Gold Chains, and badges of office, in which to parade in public at every opportunity as if it was a public acknowledgement of personal achievment. It is of course no such thing, it is simply, `thier turn`.
It is clear, that to remove local democratic services from local accountability is dangerous and politically counter productive.
If these plans go ahead unaltered, it is clear Caerphilly residents will lose any uneque indentity and profile it currently enjoys.
Communication by residents with `the council` as is proposed, would be as difficult as it is with the Assembly currently.
Such a proposed `merger`would see an end to Plaid Cymru`s political aspirations to run the Council at anytime soon, any clues there?
But, can Caerphilly stand alone on this? Councillor keith Reynolds leader of the Council, speaks for the ratepayers of Caerphilly and he says it can, so there is the answer. It would be unfortunate if the Welsh Assembly imposed such dramatic changes on local democracy, and if they do they had better make sure they have got it right, and Council leaders appear to be ( generally).opposing the plans.
More services less management, more frontline less bureaucracy, more Parkies less special advisers.
Surely can’t be any worse than it currently is, 5 emails/letters I have written to numerous Councillor’s / MPS at Caerphilly including Sandra Aspinall regarding school information with regards to my Partially deaf daughter and not a Single person has replied.