THE first steps have been taken towards setting up a new council for Ellesmere Port.
Borough councillors decided at a special meeting on Thursday who will represent this area on the joint committee of the new West Cheshire authority.
Just before Christmas the Government gave the go-ahead for Cheshire’s six district councils and the county council to be scrapped and replaced with two new “super-councils” – called unitary authorities – for West and East Cheshire.
The one being set up here will cover Ellesmere Port & Neston, Chester and Vale Royal. It will run every single council service, from bin collections and libraries to education and highways.
At Thursday’s meeting borough councillors decided that Labour group and council leader Justin Madders, deputy leader Mark Henesy and Tory group leader Myles Hogg will join three of their counterparts from Vale Royal, three from Chester and six from the county council on the new joint committee which will be responsible for preparing an implementation plan.
Chaired by Cllr Les Ford, leader of Vale Royal Borough Council, the committee will plan the transfer of functions to the new authority until shadow elections are held in May 2008.
Cllr Madders, who is set to lose his position and maybe even his Ledsham seat when the new authority comes into being on April 1, 2009, said: “These are exciting times for local government in Cheshire.
“The joint committee will pick up the implementation work that has already begun and start planning for the transfer to a unitary authority.
“I’m delighted to be part of this team and will be working with my colleagues to ensure the new council is organised in a way that allows public services to be shaped around the residents and communities that it serves.”
