A new council takes shape

Papers released this week on the Babergh website enable anyone interested to obtain an insight into how a merged council with Mid Suffolk District Council might begin to take shape.

What the paper, due to be discussed by the Strategy Committee on Thursday, provides is a summary of the main issues involved in achieving a merger, plus some tentatively suggested solutions. The lack of certainty is in part due to the fact that the Government is currently changing the rules with regard to the constitutional arrangments for local government. Thus it is impossible at present to say with certainty whether the new council will have a Cabinet and Leader, or be run on the basis of committees as Babergh and Mid Suffolk are now.

Questions also remain with regard to the shape of more organised locality arrangements. These are necessary to fill the so called 'democratic deficit' that results when a two councils of over 80 members falls to one council with 55 or so members.

And of course none of this can happen without evidence of public support. It now looks likely that any poll with regard to this will not happen until after the elections on May 5th.

To read the paper go to the Babergh website, click on Council and Democracy/council papers/Strategy and find the link on the agenda for Thursday February 10th.