Quality... not quantity

DIRECT response to what people are telling us... says Oldham Council’s deputy leader Jackie Stanton

1 More Image(s) In Gallery

Authority plan to slash number of councillors by a third

SLASHING the number of councillors in Oldham by a third will make the local authority leaner, more efficient and save money.

That’s the view of council chiefs after plans to reduce the number of members on Oldham Council from 60 to 40 — two per ward — to save £280,000 a year were approved by the Cabinet yesterday.

However, the proposal still faces a number of hurdles — including a majority of at least two-thirds of the members voting when it goes before full council.

The Cabinet agreed unanimously to the reduction on the basis that legislative powers are introduced to enable elections every two years. But it will require a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE), which could take more than a year. And currently, legislation does not permit metropolitan councils to have elections every two years. Representations have been made to the Secretary of State to give this power in the Localism Bill.

The Cabinet also agreed that an overview and scrutiny committee considers the proposal and that public consultation is carried out before it goes before full council in April.

Many of the reviews undertaken by the LGBCE have resulted in a reduction of the number of councillors with provisional recommendations made to reduce the council size in Stoke, Mansfield and Northampton.

The council’s deputy leader Jackie Stanton said: “This is a direct response to what the citizens of Oldham and our staff are telling us about potential ways to save money.

“We have to look everywhere to make savings and this is a genuine attempt to make savings. Our council is becoming leaner, more streamlined and much more ambitious.

“We cannot be exempt at all from any reductions.”

Councillor Jack Hulme said: “We will make this council leaner and more efficient and save money in the process.”

Councillor Kay Knox said if staff were being asked to use technology to work quicker and do more with less then it was only right for councillors to do the same.

Councillor Lynne Thompson said: “Everyone is agreed that we have to take our share of the pain. I’m disappointed that our radical suggestion has had people saying ‘that’s painful’.

“We can’t just tinker around the edges. We have to be radical.”

Councillor Mohammed Masud said: “Quality is better than quantity. We need efficient councillors there to serve people.”

Councillor Rod Blyth said it was “common sense” and the council does not need as many councillors.

But Labour has dismissed the idea, claiming it could actually cost money and has come from the Lib-Dems struggling to get three electable candidates to stand in each ward.

The council needs to save £41million over the next financial year, another £22.736 million in 2012-13 and £14.667 million in 2013-14.




Allowances the real issue — Labour chief

Dawn Marsden



OLDHAM’s opposition Labour leader Jim McMahon has reacted with anger over the coalition’s plans to slash the number of councillors by a third.



Councillor Jim McMahon said the number of councillors isn’t the issue — rather the amount paid out to them in allowances.

He added: “This is a knee-jerk reaction to our budget which proposed saving £96,000 this year from councillors’ allowances with further reductions following a review of how the council operates.

“It was such an important issue that the Lib-Dem leader (Howard Sykes) and two of his Cabinet members didn’t bother to attend the meeting.

“Labour is carrying out a full review of the democratic process to highlight the number of meaningless meetings which are held and which have an impact on the allowances received by members.

“Labour also proposes a wide-ranging devolution of powers to ward councillors through the creation of local leaders, giving those elected by their community the power to get things done.

“Councillor Sykes said he was responding to the reaction of the public but he is clearly selective. Most members of the public would rather see officer pay cut but he has refused.

“Appealing to public cynicism of politics is cheap and democracy should not be bought and sold. If Councillor Sykes wanted to show we are all in this together he would back our suggestion to cut all allowances.”

Labour has refused to back the call to reduce councillors unless a fundamental review of local democracy is undertaken stating it is not the number of councillors which is the issue — otherwise parish councils would see a huge reduction - but the cost of allowances paid out.