ARCHIVED news story
Council Leader welcomes Minister’s words on unitary status
Released on 15 December 2006
I see none of our parish councils beating a path to our door saying how much they want to pay city council tax rates
Vivienne Clifford-Jackson, Council Leader
Local Government Minister Phil Woolas is unlikely to approve Norwich City Council’s bid for unitary status.
That is the message of South Norfolk Council Leader Cllr Vivienne Clifford-Jackson, after a question and answer session with Mr Woolas at a Local Government Association conference in London on Thursday 14 December.
In the public session with delegates, she asked Mr Woolas for “reassurance that unitary status will not be granted where it will mean the emasculation of neighbouring authorities, economic damage and where it has no overall support locally”.
Cllr Clifford-Jackson said:
“The three responses I got are bad news for the Norwich City Council unitary bid. Mr Woolas said:
- ‘What is right for one part of an area, has to be right for everyone’
- ‘I am against cherry-picking of authorities’
- ‘The impact on neighbouring authorities will be taken into account.’
She added:
“Unless Mr Woolas is planning an embarrassing U-turn in the Near Year, then even he and the Government are against the Norwich bid.
“The city council are in a hole, and it's time to stop digging. This no-hope bid is costing their council taxpayers a small fortune.
“We don’t want it, Broadland Council don’t want it and North Norfolk Council has just voted against it. I see none of our parish councils beating a path to our door saying how much they want to pay city council tax rates either.
“The only people who want it are the city council. It seems they are in too deep, but stopping this costly distraction is the right and responsible thing for them to do.”
She said the two bids being pursued by Norwich were equally unworkable. She said:
"Unitary status within their current city boundary is unworkable because the population size just isn't big enough to sustain a unitary authority.
"And going parish hunting to make up the shortfall is not only hugely unpopular, it seems the Government and the Local Government Minister take a dim view of it as well."
She concluded:
"Norwich is a fine city with wonderful, hard working people. It has national status as a top retail and vibrant financial services centre.
"What the city needs is a better relationship with all the authorities in Norfolk and to continue working with us all in partnership."
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