Browse Sections

• Education
• Barlow's brief 
• Special reports

Reformers boast about huge savings for taxpayers then say there will be no council tax cut!

Vic Barlow
30/ 5/2007

WHENEVER public authorities talk about improving services be afraid... be very afraid.

Remember when police officers were taken off the street because 'bobbies on the beat don't deter crime' or when they closed down local schools to 'improve education'.

Not long ago NHS governors had a plan entitled 'Making it Better' which they proposed to do by closing down half of Macclesfield Hospital.

So when I received the brief for the reform of local councils aimed at 'reducing costs' I was more than a little suspicious.

Seems I was wrong. The plan to split Cheshire in two (East and West) will (and I quote) 'save taxpayers £16.1 million every year'.

There's to be a reduction in top management from 156 to 88 (I'm told we won't notice the difference on Fridays) and it will 'eliminate the cost and duplication' of the current structure.

So massive savings all round... right?

I couldn't wait to get to that part of the plan illustrating the reduction in council tax and here's where it gets interesting.

'It is important to note that the changes we propose will NOT reduce council tax,' say the planners.

So, massive savings (over £16m every year remember) wholesale clearout of management and staff but NO reduction in council tax whatsoever. So where's all this 'saved' cash going?

Now, there are some people who will definitely benefit from all this extra money but precisely who these people are, the plan doesn't tell us.

I think we can take a guess.

• THE views expressed on this page are Vic Barlow's and not necessarily those of the Express.