Cut to councillor numbers considered

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THE NUMBER of councillors representing Studley and Alcester could be cut in a bid to save money.

Officials from the Local Government Boundary Commission are consulting on a proposal to reduce the number of councillors on Stratford District Council from 53 to 36.

The aim is to move towards having just one councillor representing each ward meaning Studley and Alcester would lose two councillors each, although the proposal does allow for two councillor wards if justified.

If accepted the review could save £76,500 in councillor allowances alone with a reduction in postage and other costs adding to the final total.

The commission is currently asking residents if they think 36 is the right number of councillors to represent them. Once the consultation closes on April 8, the final figure will be published in May with draft proposals for the new ward boundaries released in October.

Final recommendations will be made in March 2014 so a final decision can be made in time for the local elections in 2015.

The review will also prompt a change in how the council is elected, with the authority moving from electing a third of its councillors in three out of four years to the whole council once every four years.

Council leader Chris Saint said the move was not just about saving money and had cross party support.

"At 53 members we are one of the larger lower tier authorities, most work with a number between 35 and 40," he said.

"We thought it was good governance to have a more compact council because the amount of case work will stay the same but will have to be shared between fewer councillors and and that would engage them more in the work of the council so there are good business reasons behind the decision."

Max Caller, chairman of the Local Government Boundary Commission, said: "We want to know if you think 36 is the right number of councillors to be able to take decisions effectively and whether it’s the right number to represent the interests of all the district’s communities.

"If you don’t agree that Stratford-on-Avon should be represented by 36 councillors, we want you to tell us your alternative and why you think there should be more, or fewer, members of the council in the future."

Residents can have their say by visiting consultation.lgbce.org.uk, emailing reviews@lgbce.org.uk or write to The Review Officer (Stratford-on-Avon), Local Government Boundary Commission for England, Layden House, 76-86 Turnmill Street, London EC1M 5LG.

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