COUNCILLORS on the new Cheshire West and Chester Council could each be allocated up to £15,000 from the authority’s half-a-billion-pound budget to spend as they see fit on projects in their areas.

The plan was revealed to residents at Vale Royal Borough Council’s final area meeting in Frodsham last week by the leader of the new authority, Cllr Mike Jones.

“Giving individual councillors a pot of money to be spent in their own communities would allow residents to get involved in expenditure,” he said.

The new council takes over on April 1, bringing together existing councils in Ellesmere Port and Neston, Chester, Vale Royal and Cheshire County Council.

Cllr Jones assured residents the new council would also maintain the system of regular area forums. Strategic locations were still to be decided but forums are likely to continue in the Frodsham and Helsby area.

Cllr Jones said, as the fourth largest local authority in the North West, the new council would emerge with a powerful strategic voice in the UK, enabling it to drive forward initiatives to support the development of its communities.

“It will be business as usual from day one, but throughout 2009 there will be a lot of discussions with the public about how they want to see their services shaped,” he said.