A few years ago now, a review of local government arrangements in Norfolk proposed no changes should be made. In general, everyone across the county was in agreement that this was the best thing. But not Norwich City Council.
The Labour led authority decided with its influence with the government they could ask for the decision to be revisited, with the aim of Norwich City Council becoming a larger Unitary Authority, swallowing up chunks of neighbouring authorities and gaining, so they thought, control for the Labour Party over more of the County. However, it was not just the Labour Party in Norwich who showed immense levels of self interest and self delusion over this. The Lib Dems and Greens at City Hall, like Labour, felt that Norwich was not getting its fair share of the cake. They felt that Norwich was squeezed out by the rest of the County and that only by creating a new "Greater Norwich" unitary authority could this be put right. Yes, Norwich City Council had control over its own refuse services, planning, environmental health and housing, but only a Unitary Authority could be Norwich's salvation.
So when the Boundary Committee announced today that their preferred option was a Single Unitary Authority for Norfolk, with Norfolk also taking in the District of Waveney (currently in Suffolk), it highlighted what monumental fools Norwich City Council have been.
Norwich City Council claimed under the current system that Norwich is ignored, that Norwich misses out on things and that Norwich needed independence in order to achieve its full potential. Instead, Norwich City Council will lose control of the things it runs at present and these will be handed to a much more remote Norfolk County Unitary Authority, with Norwich's authority further diminished by the inclusion of parts of Waveney and Lowestoft in the new authority.
Let's not mention then tens of thousands of pounds Norwich City Council have spent on this whole process. Let's not mention the way Norwich City Council have angered the fringe parishes around the city by their attempts to take over. Let's not mention that fact that through their shenanigans they seem to have achieved the very opposite of what they wanted to achieve !
5 comments:
Now I think the commission's proposals are pretty bonkers in Norfolk, but shouldn't you declare an interest as being from one of those fringe parishes.
I certainly know that the "fringe" parishes to not want to be part of Norwich, but what angered these parishes were teh methods Norwich City Council used to get them on side, which appeared to be all stick and no carrot until they got everyone angry then, when everyone was against the idea they went all "carrot" and wondered why nobody was biting.
Spot on. They do not understand the concept of "How to win friends and influence people"! When the city council can't even empty bins and fulfil their responsibilities to city residents, it's ridiculous to think they could do more.
Made just slightly funnier by Ipswich getting its greater empire boundaries.
Funny, Labour did the same in Exeter. Now they are faced with a unitary Devon (no one wanted) and the end of 800 years of local govenment for the city.
Post a Comment