News
17th May 125/17/2012
The Ulster Unionist Party have formally rejected the draft Local Government (Boundaries) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 calling it a ‘continuation of the carve up of power which exists at Stormont’
Ulster Unionist Party opposes Boundaries Order
The Ulster Unionist Party have formally rejected the draft Local Government (Boundaries) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 calling it a ‘continuation of the carve up of power which exists at Stormont’
Tom Elliott, the Ulster Unionist representative on the Environment Committee at Stormont, was the sole member to officially vote against the Order, at today’s committee, which progresses the boundaries for the 11 council model based on the previous recommendations of the Boundaries Commissioner.
Tom Elliott said;
“The Ulster Unionist Party has consistently opposed the 11 council model as we believe it to have been a calculated political deal between the DUP and Sinn Fein.
"We recognise that efficiencies are needed at all levels of Government and we do have too many local councils for a relatively small population. However it is clear that by cutting Northern Ireland’s 26 councils to only 11, the two main political parties have taken the explicit decision to ignore what local rate payers actually want from local government.
"The Ulster Unionist Party simply does not believe the 11 council model represents either good value for money or will be at all representative of local community identity.
"It has been calculated that in order to reduce Northern Ireland’s councils to 11 it will take an upfront investment of £118million. Whilst there may be savings over a 25 year period, Councils or the Executive simply doesn’t have that level of cash available at this stage unless it were to embark on an additional array of cutbacks. Councils would most definitely be required to cut significant services or have a huge increase in their rates in order to pay for this move.
"This proposal will not only have significant costs for the transition, which so far the Minister has refused to put forward a business case to the Executive for, but will have serious rates convergence issues with the merger of councils, in some cases rates in councils could find an immediate increase of possibly 20 %. In these times of significant financial pressures this has the potential to add a hugely increased rates bill, the last thing that homeowners and businesses want to be burdened with.
"Other alternative models I believe would have provided a much more balanced approach with less financial hardship for the public. I believe with other models Councils and the Executive would face a much reduced upfront bill as there would be significantly less amalgamation costs, less splitting or combining of assets and liabilities of councils, and finally for some there would be a much reduced divergence of rating wealth between councils.
"Apart from making no economic sense I am also very concerned on a political level that the DUP and Sinn Fein have quite clearly looked at this programme of reform as an opportunity to create councils which one party or the other will totally dominate.
"If this Boundaries Order passes its final hurdle in the Assembly Chamber in the next number of weeks - it will confirm the ridiculous position of Dundonald becoming part of Lisburn City Council, rather than Belfast which it is much more closely identifiable with. It raises very serious issues regarding Unionism becoming a clear minority in Belfast and the subsequent consequence which that will undoubtedly have.”
In conclusion Tom Elliott said;
“The current reform of public administration is a once in a lifetime chance to transform our local councils. Unfortunately the DUP and Sinn Fein have turned this into a political issue in a shallow attempt to shore up their own particular positions.”
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