● Photo by Marc Hodgson
Free Online at www.coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk The Community Newspaper for the Towns and Villages of East Cleveland, Redcar & North York Moors, telling the real news and views of the people of our region Issue 82 August - September 2017
•• This month 26,300 copies ••
Overwhelming support to retain 59 councillors
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and equally represented wherever they live.” Councillors then voted on the report 46 in favour with 1 against, that being Councillor Wayne Davies, an Independent for the Loftus Ward. Councillor Davies told Coastal View: “I couldn’t support the status quo keeping Councillors numbers at 59, especially with cuts to local services and the council workforce on the ground, effectively members of the public see less happening in their areas yet are paying higher council taxes every year.” He added: “Why should Councillors protect themselves from effective cuts, it will look from a public perspective that Councillors are looking after themselves and that we are above the cuts, which is simply unacceptable; if you ask anyone on the street if they want to see less councillors and that money invested in services like the grass being cut more regularly, I’m certain I know what the answer would be.” Councillor’s Davies and Findley have long supported reducing councillor numbers and
ouncillors vote overwhelmingly in support of retaining 59 councillors at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, following a report to be submitted to the Boundary Commission at a recent full council meeting. The Government are currently undergoing a Boundary review on MP’s constituencies, a move that could see the number of MP’s reduce by up to 50 by the next General Election, including new boundaries on Teesside that will see the total number of MP’s reduce by one. Similarly, Local Government undergo reviews, although this only happens every so often and takes into consideration things such as population, Councillor workload and place identity. During the consultation period, which began in January this year, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council sought views from Councillors about their roles; from the amount of meetings they attended, to how much ward work they undertake and their time spent sending emails and other general communicational activities. Out of the total current number of Councillors, only half responded with feedback. This was then fed into the Council’s report that was debated by Councillors at the latest full council meeting on 3rd August. The recommendation by Christopher Massey, Cabinet member for Resources, was to vote in favour of retaining councillor numbers at 59. During the debate, members from all parties spoke of the ‘important work Councillors do’
in the local area and the ‘workload’ they have, especially since the Government’s austerity programme and cuts to local services. Councillor Christopher Massey, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Resources at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “I, and the overwhelming majority of councillors, firmly believe that for Redcar and Cleveland Council to operate most effectively, it requires strong, democratic representation from its communities. Our Borough is a diverse mix of rural and urban, with both densely and sparsely populated wards spanning a variety of sizes. In the age of austerity, with the introduction of welfare reform and the imposition of the Bedroom Tax, councillors have seen an increase in their workloads, not a decrease. Whilst we have seen drastic cuts to our Council’s budget and to the Council’s staffing structure, the work of councillors, and indeed the support our constituents require, has not changed. “Councillors passionately represent their local communities. They deal with casework from residents, hold surgeries and neighbourhood meetings to hear residents’ views, and attend formal council meetings to represent their towns and villages. There is more need than ever before for elected members to be actively engaged within their communities, to help empower residents and provide them with support. The Council’s ongoing aim is to ensure that services to the public are protected as much as possible and that our residents across the Borough are fairly
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have both made personal representations to the boundary commission on reducing numbers of councillors. Councillor Davies said: “Ultimately, the Boundary Commission will make the final decision and we should respect the outcome of their report”. Councillor Findley, who was unable to attend the vote due to ill health said: “Where councils have to make savings and 59 councillors all receive allowances from £9550 a year, with some councillors receiving additional special responsibility allowances, every department in the council including elected members should be taking its fair share of the savings, especially as staffing numbers reduce but workloads remain the same, how can it be one rule for staff and a completely different case for elected members?” The Boundary Commission will review the report submitted from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and publish their draft proposals in early 2018. Any new changes will only take effect from the next local elections, which are due in May 2019.