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Originally Posted by Neil
That is an issue that needs correcting I think. I would like to see Area Council or whatever we want to call them with more powers to decide what to do in our local Areas. I think they need more revenue budget to help them address local issues. In the current financial year they appeared to have capital but little revenue budget. I see them as a way for local Councillors to address issues in the ward they were elected to serve. I know that Oswaldtwistle Are Council is probably one of the best Area Councils in Hyndburn. The others need a good shake up then to bring them up to the same level.
Am I right in thinking Labour is against Area Councils Gayle? I think you posted somewhere that you are sort of for them but maybe not in their present form.
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The Labour party is against Area Councils in the format that they are for precisely the reasons that you said above - the have no real power and they're really little more than a Google Page Ranking exercise with the Councillors informing the people about what they plan to do.
I think, like you do (omg are we agreeing here) that the Town/Area Council (whatever name) should have far more powers with the budget of the town.
We say that Oswaldtwistle Area Council is one of the better ones but is it really? Yes, there are a lot of people attending but does it actually achieve any more than any of the other Area Councils that have less people attending? I'm afraid the answer to that has to be NO, again for the reasons we've said here and the lack of power.
Did you know that each and every Area Council meeting costs in the region of £5,000 simply to hold? If you add in the time of the two employees who work for the Council solely on Area Council business, the expenses that the Councillors claim, additional officer time, the paperwork and postage, the hire of the rooms, etc. If we get 50 people in the room in Oswaldtwistle that works out at £100 per head - think of the value for money that other Area Councils are getting with the same overheads but even less of a turn out.
So, sorry to waffle but to answer your question - yes, I am in favour of an Area/Town council in theory but the way that they are currently run in Hyndburn then I would have to say NO. Having said that, I wouldn't want to abolish them I would want to correct them so that they work for the people of the town.