Council changes 'unfair' to people
Thursday, 25 September 2008
by RICHARD BURDEN.
THE make-up of the new Armagh City and Bann District Council will be "totally unfair" to local people, it has been claimed.
And Ulster Unionist Councillor Jim Speers feels that Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Councils should make their voices heard now.
Representatives of the three local authorities - which will amalgamate in 2011 to form the new Armagh City and Bann District Council - will meet for the first time today (Wednesday) to pave the way.
The Transition Committee - consisting of five councillors from each area - will debate issues surrounding the changes and future of local government at a special sitting in Craigavon Civic Centre.
But Councillor Jim Speers - one of the Armagh team - will be pushing for a strong line from his colleagues as the consultation period - to be followed by public hearings - gets underway.
It was last Wednesday that Local Government Boundaries Commissioner Dick Mackenzie put forward the new model for 11 so-called 'super-councils', replacing the current 26 authorities in Northern Ireland.
The biggest shake-up in local government for almost four decades - which will also see the transfer of additional powers, such as housing and planning - is due to take place in May 2011.
Apart from Belfast, which will boast 60 councillors, each of the new organisations will be represented by an elected body of just 40 - one for each new ward in its jurisdiction.
At present, there are 22 councillors in Armagh, 26 in Craigavon and 17 in Banbridge, with the changes meaning that 25 will go in less than two years time.
And that is far from ideal and gives rise to concerns over adequate representation, according to Councillor Speers, who raised his fears for the future at the monthly meeting of the City Council at the Palace on Monday night.
He says that the proposed Armagh City and Bann area represents the largest population of any of the new councils outside Belfast, with a total of 192,000 people falling under its control.
Mr Speers claims that each councillor, therefore, will be expected to represent the needs of an average 3,500 ratepayers, compared to the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area, where that figure is significantly less, being in the region of 2,000.
Calling for unanimity in the chamber, the Ulster Unionist said: "The changes would appear to me to be totally unfair and stacked against the electorate. It's very unfair in terms of the representation that is going to be given to the people in this area.
“This is an issue that does need to be addressed. Normally this council would not become involved on issues of this nature and it would be left to the individual political parties to make their own representations.
“But consideration must be given to these points when the boundaries are further considered at the review consultation period followed by public hearing".
Describing the situation as "wrong", Mr Speers called for equity, saying the new councillors would be at "somewhat of a disadvantage" in terms of the representation they could deliver for local people.
It is expected that the case will be made when the Transition Committee meets today (Wednesday), at Craigavon. Its role has been given as driving forward the process of the merging of the three councils, overseeing the actual establishment of the new Armagh City and Bann District Council and the "seamless transfer of services" for ratepayers.
Armagh will be represented by Paul Berry (Independent), Pat Brannigan (SDLP), William Irwin (DUP), Cathy Rafferty (Sinn Fein) and Jim Speers (UUP); Banbridge - Joan Baird (UUP), Seamus Doyle (SDLP), John Hanna (UUP), David Herron (DUP) and Junior McCrum (DUP); Craigavon - Ignatius Fox (SDLP), Davy Jones (Independent), Michael Tallon (Sinn Fein), Kenneth Twyble (UUP) and Philip Weir (DUP).
The three chief executives and senior officers from each will prepare policy papers and recommendations for consideration by the Transition Committee to make sure that the change process is "as smooth as possible". The new committee will, for now, meet on a monthly basis.
Boundaries Commissioner Dick Mackenzie, meanwhile, is encouraging public feedback in the consultation period, as the changes will "impact on councils, elected representatives, major public sector providers, the voluntary and community sectors, the private sector, as well as the general public".
Written submissions should be sent to the Secretary, Office of the Local Government Boundaries Commissioner, Forestview, Purdy's Lane, Belfast BT8 7AR; by email to webmail@lgbc-ni.org; by fax to 9049 4889; or by typetalk to 18001 (028) 9049 4870. The closing date for receipt of submissions on the provisional recommendations is Wednesday, November 12.
A series of public hearings - one in each of the 11 new council areas - will then be held between November 20 and 28.
