Keep The County Line Intact

by Craig Chapman - 15:10 on 08 August 2008

A local, former Conservative, but now independent East Staffordshire Borough Councillor had his thoughts spread across our local newspapers this week, suggesting that the East Staffordshire Borough Council that presently includes Burton on Trent and Uttoxeter, be split and re-assigned with new partners – across county lines. 

Geographically, this does make sense. His suggestion to link Burton on Trent with South Derbyshire (including Swadlincote, Etwall, Woodville, Walton etc) does keep things within the conurbation, whilst Uttoxeter is as close to Stafford (who he suggested they should be linked with) as it is to Burton. 

The Popular Alliance is very much in favour of keeping County identities and the smaller, more focused and effective local authorities. The idea of Regional assemblies makes us shudder, not only by the endless costs of re-branding, integrating and all the worthless non-jobs such a move would entail, but also we see such a move as playing into the EU’s hands as their plan to steam roller our nation gathers speed. Any softening of County borders weakens our position.

The thought of having Derbyshire County schools and roads linking Staffordshire County and Burton Borough refuse collection routes, mixed up with street lights that no-one can decide who should be maintaining is scary, as its already hard enough getting anything done quickly and effectively at the moment.

Quite how far the nearest police station might be is anyone’s guess, whilst get-away drivers would have endless fun leading a chasing police car in and out of roads that he can or can’t drive along. Would someone living on the outskirts of Derby really be pleased about relying on police from Cannock who aren't allowed to drive along his road ? 

The additional re-branding of paperwork and needless insignia around the area would be colossal and soak up any saved budget that the more localised control might bring. They would need a whole new building of non-job, middle managers to simply "co-ordinate the interaction between the diversity of the area, to facilitate integration" – too many cooks I thinketh,  and a whole forest of paperwork and new pensions for the rates payers to cough up.

No Frank, we like you, but please drop that idea in the nearest bin before some nitwit pencil-pusher takes you too seriously.  

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