Unite: Supersizing councils could see service users lose out
22 October 2010
Responding to news that three London councils were looking to
merge services and structures, Peter Allenson, Unite national
officer for local government, said: "The clue is in the name; local
government means close to the local community.
"While the severity and speed of the coalition cuts puts
horrific pressure on local authorities to cut services, we urge
them not to rush into untested structures which could see service
users unsure who to turn to when they need help.
"From cleansing services to child protection to social care,
councils have to be close to the needs of their communities and the
people who elect them and pay for them - and council workers need
to know who is in charge.
"Supersizing the delivery of services like this means local
councillors become insignificant and have little influence on the
services they provide. Voters will soon become
disenfranchised and wonder what they are paying for.
"People know and trust local services and have a sense of
ownership. Councils play with this trust at their peril."
ENDS
For further information, please contact Pauline Doyle on 07976
832 861
Email to a friend
