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• Healey - 100 days to bang the drum for new councils

Healey - 100 days to bang the drum for new councils

The 100 day countdown to the biggest transformation of local government for 30 years begins today - a change which will affect over 3.2 million people.

Local Government Minister John Healey said that plans to replace 44 councils across 7 counties on 1 April next year are on track. And with 100 days to go, he called on the new councils to step up their efforts to explain to local people how these changes will make a difference to their lives - through better services, a bigger say in local decisions and stronger community leadership through these tough economic times.

The new councils have also committed to make combined savings of over £100m, which can be re-invested in front-line services or used to reduce pressure on council tax.

44 local councils across Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire will be replaced by nine new unitary authorities. Over the last few months Mr Healey has met with those people working hard to transform local government in all these areas as well as local residents who will be affected.

The Minister has been impressed with efforts to ensure that these new councils will be up and running delivering top quality services from day one. But he said more needs to be done to explain the changes to the public itself - especially the benefits it will bring.

For example:

• Central Bedfordshire has an ambitious plan to reshape childrens' services and improve academic results, creating a more co-ordinated, family-oriented school system, and uniting local leisure, libraries and sports coaching facilities.
• Cornwall Council will provide 22 One stop shops/walk in centres across the county. People will be able to meet local councillors, access council services or Citizens Advice, and get information, advice and guidance about any council service. A mobile service will be set up to reach the more rural areas.
• Cheshire East Council will provide targeted community policing as well as debt advice to those affected by the present economic downturn. Vulnerable people will benefit from expanded social care, with co-ordinated home visits by multi-skilled professionals.
• Durham's new council will provide a single number for all services, and plans to expand its recycling and home composting services. 75 per cent of Durham's households will soon be able to use the composting service, reducing the amount of garden waste sent to landfill each year.
• Northumberland's new Council will introduce a new housing scheme giving tenants more flexibility over their housing choices. The new system is designed to be more straightforward with only 1 form to fill in for access to any kind of property scheme.
• Shropshire's Council will invest their savings in local services, with £5m in public transport, equalising concessionary fares across the county. They will also provide free swimming for under-16s and older people and access to £1.7m funding for local community activities.
• Wiltshire Council have already made £3.4m in savings through staff reductions to avoid duplication. They plan to substantially improve their customer access, with a single telephone number for all services and customer centres in main offices and locations across the county.

John Healey said:

"In 100 days time 44 councils across 7 counties will be replaced with 9 new unitary councils, serving over 3 million people. This represents the biggest transformation of local government for 30 years and means that 60per cent of the population will now be served by single unitary councils.

"This isn't a bureaucratic process of redrawing maps or changing names, and it's not a 24-hour makeover.This is about making a real difference to people's lives. These new councils have committed to delivering better services, giving people a bigger say in decisions that affect them and making combined savings of over £100m to be re-invested in front-line services or used to reduce pressure on council tax. And through stronger leadership they will help their communities ride out these tough economic times.

"From my visits to all of these areas I have seen first hand the huge efforts being made to ensure councils are not only up and running but also delivering top quality services from day one. The final countdown begins today but I am confident plans are on track and efforts will continue over the next 100 days. I want these councils to also use this time to step up efforts to tell local people about the changes and how they will benefit. Whether a single telephone number to access all services in Wiltshire or free swimming for children and old people in Shropshire I want local people to know what to expect from their new council from day one."

Notes to editors

1. Local Government Minister John Healey explains more about the benefits of the new unitary councils in a short clip on YouTube: www.youtube.com/communitiesuk (external link)

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