One council – what would change? One council – half a million reasons

Cumbria currently has two tiers of local government – the county council and six why it makes sense district councils. The two tiers have different responsibilities and deliver different services. For example, the district council collects waste, while the county council Cumbria has a population of half a million people and is a unique place, with disposes of it; the district council picks up litter and cleans the streets, while the diverse communities and diverse needs. county council maintains the roads. We believe a single council for Cumbria will be able to better serve Cumbria’s Much of England – and all of Wales and Scotland – has already removed these two half a million residents. Here are some reasons why: tiers by creating single, unitary councils that deliver all services. • Having one council instead of seven saves £22.2m for council tax payers. Cumbria County Council’s proposal involves unifying the existing six district councils People will get the same, and better, services… for less money and county council into a new single authority for Cumbria. It has been supported by all three main political parties in the county council as well as many of the key • Communities will have a greater say in the way their local services are delivered organisations in the county such as the voluntary sector and the Primary Care Trust. through new Community Boards

• Stronger frontline councillors will have the powers to make a difference and get things done locally One council – why change now? • People will only need to deal with one council that everyone understands - The opportunity to transform local government doesn’t come along often – the last no more confusion about which council does what round of changes in England was made over 10 years ago. At that time, Cumbria decided to maintain the status quo, with a commitment to improve relations across • Cumbria will have a stronger voice to argue for jobs, investment and the different tiers of local government. But the limitations, inefficiencies and confusion resources at a regional and national level of the existing system still exist 10 years on. National and regional decision makers have continued, in vain, to urge us to speak clearly and with one voice about our priorities. In short, Cumbria deserves better.

The Government has given every indication that funding for local government will come under considerable pressure in the next Comprehensive Spending Review. It is unrealistic to expect that in the future Cumbria will be able to afford to deliver local services and democracy through the same inefficient two-tier structures. We simply cannot afford to sustain the existing duplication of effort and must capitalise on the economies of scale afforded by a single unitary council for the whole county.

cumbria.gov.uk/onecouncil One council – what happens next? One council, Timetable for change One vision, July 2007: The Government will announce which areas in England will be restructured, followed by enactment of necessary legislation. One voice. May 2008: Elections take place for the new unitary council.

May 2008 - A shadow council begins establishing the new unitary council April 2009 and prepares transfers with existing councils.

April 2009: The new unitary council for the whole of Cumbria takes over the running of council services.

Cumbria County Council’s proposal for a unitary authority is being assessed by the Department for Communities and Local Government. A public consultation is being run until 22 June 2007 and anybody can respond to the proposal by writing to:

The Department of Communities and Local Government, Zone 5/E8, The challenge: To cut the cost of bureaucracy in local government, to find Eland House, better ways of delivering local services, to give people a more local voice in Bressenden Place, decision making, to cut confusion over ‘who does what’. London SW1E 5DU

Or email [email protected] The solution: By changing seven councils into one ‘unitary’ council, Cumbria’s council tax payers would save £22.2m a year, services would be joined up and more efficient, new community boards would be far more local than the existing More details can be found on the Department for Communities and Local set-up, and council issues will be dealt with in one-stop shops in communities all Government’s website communities.gov.uk round the county. or Cumbria County Council’s website cumbria.gov.uk/onecouncil cumbria.gov.uk/onecouncil One council – how will it work?

Bigger isn’t always better. That’s why the new council won’t just be Community board pilots one big organisation far removed from It will be a decision for the new council the people of Cumbria. Its structure - consulting with local communities - how to structure Community Boards in Cumbria, but will be far more local than the current work on creating these visionary new ways The £22.2m saved each year by running a more of working is already underway. Pilot schemes efficient council will be shared between tax payers and system of six districts and will bring local have already been created in Barrow, North service users. Around three-quarters of people’s total council democracy much closer to communities. Allerdale, Grange & Cartmel, Keswick and tax bill is set by the county council - but each district council in North East Copeland to help shape how Cumbria also makes a charge on top of this. The current system they will work in practice once the new Longtown means people living in the six different districts of Cumbria all council is up and running. Brampton pay different levels of council tax. Under a unitary council, except Making the council more local will be done by for amounts paid to parishes, everyone will pay the same rate creating between 20 and 30 Community Boards built Carlisle and the new rate will be based on the lowest of the six district Silloth around Cumbria’s main urban centres and market councils - currently Allerdale. This means people in Carlisle, Eden, towns. They will be based on real communities which Wigton Copeland, South Lakeland and Barrow will all benefit. £5.1m of people recognise, where individuals and communities Alston the annual savings would be returned to taxpayers this way. can set out local standards, local priorities and even Aspatria manage and own their community’s assets where they Maryport Plus at the moment, the Government caps council tax increases choose to. The Community Boards would include at 5%; the unitary council will cap any increases at 4% or less for Cockermouth Penrith representatives of Parish and Town councils as well Workington the first three years - meaning council tax bills will not increase as other organisations such as the police and health by as much as they have been over the last few years. By the Keswick authorities. third year £6m of the annual savings would be returned to Whitehaven Appleby-in-Westmorland taxpayers this way. The remainder of the efficiency savings will A fundamental principle of the new authority is that Cleator Moor be ploughed back into improving frontline services. it will lead to improved services to the public - based around the needs of citizens and communities. Egremont Kirkby Stephen Services will be accessible to customers at the times Ambleside and in the places they are most needed - rather than Pilot Community Board Areas Windermere at the convenience of council bureaucracies. Grange and Cartmel Kendal Keswick Sedbergh This will include one-stop shop contact centres in NE Copeland local communities, telephone contact centres with North Allerdale Partnership Millom Milnthorpe extended operating hours and more services available Central Barrow Ulverston online. As there will be just one council, there will Grange Kirkby Lonsdale Dalton -over- be no more being passed from pillar to post as Key Service Centre -in- Sands Barrow Furness There will be fewer councillors in a one-council different organisations claim your problems aren’t -in- their responsibility. Furness Cumbria, and they will have more power to get things done and represent their local wards. Cumbria already struggles to find enough people willing to be councillors - many local elections see uncontested seats. The eventual plan is to have around 100 Cumbria councillors - there are currently 371.

One council means one chief executive and one senior management team The cost of setting up a new unitary council would be Another weakness in the current system is that some areas rather than seven. It will also only need one set of back-office systems such as payroll, £21.3m. Because of the savings involved in having just one are represented by a range of different councillors serving computer systems and finance. Currently tax payers in Cumbria are paying for these jobs to council instead of seven, these transition costs would be paid different councils. This can be confusing for electors. In a be done in seven separate organisations. back in 2.5 years. unitary council everyone will know who has been elected and what they are accountable for.

cumbria.gov.uk/onecouncil