The battle to control your family's future

Mar 30 2007 Special Report by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

THE gloves came off this week in the battle for control of Cheshire's local authorities.

At stake is who will decide how to spend £800m each year on schools, care for the elderly, children's services, roads, environment, business development, the city, towns and villages.

A 12-week consultation with stakeholders - not a full public consultation - begins this week to get the new councils set up by 2009.

A jubilant Chester City council are already celebrating in the belief they have won the argument to scrap the county council and merge six district councils into two, East and West Cheshire.

But Cheshire's chief executive Jeremy Taylor has warned the county council could seek a judicial review if the Secretary of State, Ruth Kelly, splits the county in two.

He said that would contradict the assessment of her own Department for Communities and Local Government which gave the county's plan to scrap the six district councils, creating one single-tier authority a 'nine out of 10' on the likelihood of achieving the agreed criteria, compared to the city's 'seven out of 10'.

But Minister for Local Government and Community Cohesion, Phil Woolas, may have given an indication about they way he believes the decision will go when he said he believed the county's plan appeared to lack public support.

West Cheshire would comprise Chester, Ellesmere Port and Vale Royal councils. With its central location, Chester would be the likely choice for the HQ.

Chester City Council chief executive Paul Durham said: 'Our proposals are centred on improving things for residents by making a fresh start. They save taxpayers money, even after paying for the cost of change; they reflect best practice and are deliverable.'

He argued the county's proposal was 'unworkable' and Cheshire was 'too large' for one local authority.

County chief Mr Taylor points out his organisation already has the skills and experience to operate a budget of £700m compared to the six councils' combined budget of about £100m, and is facing up to key issues like dwindling numbers in schools.

Who will get the job? >>>