Councils go to court over boundaries
- Published: 24 September 2008 12:19
- Author: Mark Smulian
- More by this Author
- Last Updated: 24 September 2008 12:19
Three Norfolk districts have won court permission to take the Boundary Committee for England to judicial review over its proposed unitary council for the county.
Breckland DC, Kings Lynn & West Norfolk BC and South Norfolk Council argued that the committee failed to demonstrate affordability, and had not consulted correctly. See LGCplus report.
A committee spokesman said it had followed the required processes. The hearing is expected in early November.
The move came as disputes broke out between councils across Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk about forecasts of savings from unitary reorganisation.
Norfolk CC said a county unitary would give annual savings of £24.6m and recoup £18.6m of reorganisation costs within three years.
But councillors also passed a resolution that urged retention of the two-tier structure.
Suffolk CC chief executive Andrea Hill told staff that a county unitary would save £85m over five years, after set up costs of £25m, after which "there will be annual savings of more than £30m [and we] will give £18m back to people through lower council tax".
Her figures were immediately disputed by Waveney DC, which faces dismemberment between Norfolk and Suffolk. Deputy leader Colin Law (Con) called her figures "utterly misleading".
Devon CC claimed a county unitary would save £28m over five years and £19m a year after that.
Exeter City Council, which supports a two-unitary future for the county, said its residents were concerned about retaining local delivery and accountability for services, not just savings.
