Joint south east Northumberland council plan branded 'bonkers'

Posted by The Journal on Feb 4, 10 09:59 AM in Councils

Northumberland County Council leader Jeff Reid, left, and chair of Seaton Valley Parish Council Bob Watson A political row is brewing over alleged 'empire building' amid moves to set up a formal federation of new grass roots councils in south east Northumberland.

The eight parish and town councils were established last summer to boost local democracy following the abolition of Blyth Valley and Wansbeck district councils, and the creation of a single unitary authority for Northumberland.

Now it is being suggested that the councils - covering Blyth, Ashington, Newbiggin, Cramlington, Seaton Valley and Bedlington North, East and West - should form an official federation with a joint managing board.

The federation would coordinate the shared delivery of public services handed down by the county council - which could eventually include grass-cutting, road and pavement maintenance, street cleaning, graffiti removal, markets and public toilets.

However, county council leader Jeff Reid, pictured left, claims the move would be a return to the past, and has labelled it as empire building and a way of resurrecting the former district councils.

The eight parish councils are currently discussing whether to take over responsibility from County Hall for services such as bus shelters, public seats, parks and play areas, village greens and community centres in the next couple of years.

The idea of a federation has been mooted by former Blyth Valley Labour councillor Bob Watson, pictured right, who chairs Seaton Valley Parish Council. He has held preliminary discussions with three of the other parishes and county council Liberal Democrat leaders.

Yesterday he said: "If they are going to hand over some of these services, such as street services, to individual parish councils we are going to have capacity problems. My idea is to form a federation across the eight councils to run some of these services jointly.

"There is already a lot of expertise here in running these things, and this is not a political thing or a return to the district and borough councils. I believe there is an opportunity here and the Government wants councils to work together.

"A federation might mean individual parish councils not having to buy grass cutters and other equipment, and there could be shared staff and payroll. There would be a board running this with representatives from each council.

"It has not been well received by the county council executive, but it is something that we will continue to examine and push at parish council level."

Coun Reid said: "I don't want to stop parish councils talking to each other and coming up with ideas but to have a federation of local councils in south east Northumberland is bonkers. I am in favour of cooperation but strongly against creating more bureaucracy.

"We have been through all the pain and anguish of bringing seven councils together to form the unitary authority, and the point of having these parish councils is that they are really local. Forming a federation defeats the whole objective of local government reorganisation. Empire building and the re-creation of the district councils is not what this exercise has been about."

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