The Thoughts Of Our Big Neighbour

The Conservative leader of Southend Council, Nigel Holdcroft,? writes here:

I attended the Local Government Association’s Annual Assembly and Conference in Manchester last week and Lord Heseltine was a lead speaker. His comments were generally well received and it was interesting that he stressed once again his belief that the future of focussed and cost effective local government should be based on a combination of directly elected mayors and unitary authorities. Whilst shying away from a forced implementation of this change Secretary of State Eric Pickles made clear to conference that he believed that it was inevitable that smaller districts would have to come to terms with shared officers or more if they wished to remain viable.

Perhaps this was food for thought for colleagues in Rochford as they seek to appoint a replacement for their retiring Chief Executive rather than opening a dialogue as to how the role of senior officers can and should be shared across south east Essex delivering significant savings without adverse effect to residents. I know my door remains open as I am sure are the doors of the leaders of Castle Point and Essex CC.

Merging with Southend or Castle Point isn’t an attractive option for Rochford? – we currently have lots of green fields and no debts .

As for sharing officers – that can sometimes work, and we do it to some extent already.? But would we end up just losing our own officers,? and just helping to pay for Southend’s officers, still based in Southend and focussed on Southend?

 

 

About the author, admin

  • The Conservative Group came to the Extraordinary Council which received the RDC Chief Executive’s statement of his intention to retire with an agreed and majority position on how the replacement would be taken forward by RDC.

    I understand that the replacement by interview will be conducted by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties alone.

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