‘Reasons to oppose possible merger’
WORCESTERSHIRE currently operates in a two-tier local government structure.
There is now the English Devolution White Paper which considers Unitary Authorities – I wonder if there will be some form of public involvement or will this ‘just be imposed’?
I live in the Redditch Borough Council area and do not want it to be absorbed into a Worcestershire County Unitary Authority.
My reasons for this:
1. Many years ago, I was disappointed when I read the then county council chief executive considered a North Worcestershire Council (specifically Redditch Borough Council) was a problem for the county – there has never been an apology or rescinding of this comment.
This has lingered in my thoughts and shaped my perspective in a negative way about the county council.
2. Redditch councillors are local to me and are there to represent me in Redditch – in a unitary authority, this relationship would change.
3. I do not feel Redditch gets good service from the existing county council – in a unitary authority, Worcester city would still be the priority.
4. Worcestershire county in my mind has one priority – Worcester city.
I am not opposed to unitary authorities, but the key issue is ‘which councils are being merged?’. Redditch opted to join the West Midlands Combined Authority as an associate ‘non-constituent’ member in October 2015.
Redditch does not have close affinity to Worcester, but it does to the West Midlands, specifically Birmingham and Solihull – if combining is forced, that route should be a possibility.
Population I assume will be a consideration.
Rutland Unitary Authority is small with a population of around 41,151 – Redditch has a population of 87,059 (Population [2023] – estimate).
My initial reaction about these figures is that Redditch should be making a case to be a standalone unitary authority.
Looking at where the council is now brings up Bromsgrove District Council (2021 census population 99,475).
Redditch and Bromsgrove have shared services and work closely together – working together in a unitary authority must be an option.
Some councils are having financial difficulties, including Worcestershire County – I note County Hall is not fully used now due to safety concerns and its future is in doubt.
It is noticeable existing unitary authorities are also having financial concerns – combining Redditch District Council and Worcestershire County Council to a single tier authority is not likely to solve any such issues.
I am interested to know Redditch residents’ views – their feedback to you would be interesting.
Derek Dixon
‘Brexit wreckage’
TORY MP and Shadow Treasury Minister Alan Mak along with his boss Mel Stride remind me of that great old Black Lace song The Hokey Cokey.
Neither of them realise the wreckage the Conservatives botching of Brexit has caused, let alone for repenting for such economic incompetence.
At his original Tory candidate selection, where he succeeded David Willetts as Tory candidate for Havant in 2015, Mak spoke supportively at the thought of leaving the EU.
Then when the referendum came along, Mak jumped in line behind David Cameron so quick, his feet barely touched the ground.
And now, after all of the damage caused by the recklessness of Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Rishi Sunak, Mak has yet again had a bash at the EU and accused it of being uncompetitive in a market that has cost Britain £13.5billion-a-year in lost business opportunities since Britain left the EU in such an unprofessional manner in 2020.
Yet, whilst Sir Keir Starmer is quite rightly re-setting Britain’s battered relationships abroad in the interests of growth in the UK, all the Conservatives do is jump on bandwagon after bandwagon just to try and cover up the bitter infighting going on behind the scenes in their own party.
This simply underlines why people need to follow my example and ditch the Tories once and for all by getting four square behind the magnificent Sir Keir Starmer.
Geoffrey Brooking
‘Heartfelt appeal’
FEBRUARY is Heart Month – a time to reflect on and act upon how heart and circulatory diseases affect around twice as many people in the UK as Alzheimer’s and cancer combined.
Here at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), we urgently need your help to fund the cures of tomorrow, so we are asking readers to Go Red in Heart Month.
Whether it’s a big ball, an office dress-up day, a coffee morning or a red-themed quiz, red is a great theme to have some fun with.
By fundraising for the BHF this Heart Month, you can help get us closer than ever to a world free from the fear of heart and circulatory diseases and help to keep hearts beating. Too many of us have felt the pain of heart and circulatory diseases – losing a loved one to a cardiac arrest, supporting a child with congenital heart disease or coping with the devastating impact of heart failure.
We are also encouraging your readers to learn the lifesaving skill of CPR in just 15 minutes, through our digital tool RevivR.
Using just a cushion and a phone, you could learn the skills to help save a loved one’s life in the event of a cardiac arrest.
You can visit: bhf.org.uk/donate to donate to the BHF this Heart Month.
Teresa Hicks
Director of Fundraising at the BHF
We welcome your letters….
We welcome your letters for the Redditch Standard on any subject.
Email them to [email protected]
EDITORS COMMENT
REDDITCH is a traditional market town so it is great news the outdoor market is scheduled to return in the spring.
Whilst the Kingfisher Centre provided a temporary solution, you cannot beat the buzz and atmosphere of stalls outside.
Now all that is needed is to find the right holders for those stalls.
Please spread the word to anyone you think would be interested so we get a market that offers an array of wares, becomes an asset which brings people into the town and also provides a boost for businesses already here.
