Cheshire East Unitary Council

Cheshire East Council will take over all local government services in the boroughs of Macclesfield, Congleton and Crewe & Nantwich from April 1, 2009, following a decision by the Government on Tuesday 18 December 2007. Following elections held on 1 May 2008, there are 81 councillors forming the Shadow Council which will oversee the transition.

The Cheshire Structural Changes Order approved by  Parliament on 4 March 2008 gave effect to the decision. The new Council will serve a population of some 358,900 people (latest official population estimate  - for June 2006).

Local Government Minister John Healey said in a statement    “It is now for all the councils in Cheshire – their members and employees – to work constructively and imaginatively together to deliver two new unitary councils that will achieve their full potential for local residents. Local people will rightly expect nothing less than their successful delivery."

By way of  background, Central government issued a White Paper  "Strong and Prosperous Communities" in October 2006 setting out its proposals for improved local government arrangements.

The key proposals in the White Paper include:

A new performance framework
An enhanced role for Councils as strategic leaders and place shapers
Stronger cities
Stronger political leadership
A strengthened role for front line Councillors
A wider and stronger role for Overview and Scrutiny
Devolution of some powers
In recognition that in some areas strong leadership and accountability is harder to achieve because of two tier arrangements the White Paper also includes invitations to local authorities in shire areas to make proposals for unitary local government and to partnerships of a county council and all the district councils in the County area to pioneer as pathfinders new models of two tier working. Both of these invitations had a deadline for responses of 25 January 2007.

Visit the Cheshire East Joint Committee website.

Visit the website about using up to 3 votes.