NOW that there is to be an 'above inflation' rise in Council Tax, it might be opportune to revisit the issue of a unitary authority for Cumbria.
Currently we have three tiers of local government - county, district and parish. Are these necessary? Could we dispose of the district councils? They currently account for about 12 per cent of our Council Tax.
In the six Cumbrian district councils there are 284 councillors - all claiming allowances/expenses; there are six chief executives, six heads of refuse collection, six planning departments, etc; all with backup staff. These responsibilities could be transferred to a single authority with huge savings. Also there would be six district council offices available for disposal.
Both Durham and Northumberland are unitary with smaller populations than Cumbria (518,000 & 316,000 against 525,000).
The savings in tax would be a big boost to the Cumbrian economy.
Trevor Farrer
Witherslack
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel