As many of you may be aware ‘Your Waverley’s boundaries are being reviewed. The Rainbow Alliance that now controls the borough council is following Government guidance to slim down local authorities in a bid to save time and money. Which is no bad thing as Government money is now in short supply – and cash-strapped local authorities the length and breadth of the country are struggling to stay afloat. Some of whom have already SUNK!

 

‘ Your Waverley’ could soon be on a strict diet if the Boundary Commission has its way.

The new administration has proposed and has agreed to reduce the number of councillors from 57 to 50, some are even calling for a reduction to 44. It believes efficiencies can and should be made.  Reducing the council representation of the borough’s towns and villages in the present climate, and in line with the Boundary Commissions’ advice is both a necessary requirement and a sensible move.  However, Surrey County Council would like to go even further.

If the Tory-controlled county council has its wicked way, it will dump all 11 of Surrey’s boroughs & District Councils altogether to provide us with one behemoth Unitary Surrey Authority. Don’t be fooled, its bid has only been postponed – not cancelled! It wants to be one of the largest authorities in the country in a bid to dilute grass-roots democracy as far as it can. 

Now with councils like ‘Your Waverley’ and Guildford Borough Council losing Tory control, who better to bring them all into line than – A Tory Controlled Surrey County Council?

Bye Bye ‘Your Waverley’ Hello ‘Surrey?’

For many years now, successive Governments have been quietly stripping away local democratic powers. Particularly with planning. It will not have gone unnoticed by our followers that more and more planning decisions are granted on appeal by Government Inspectors.

And, as the song goes …

‘That’s the way WE like it.’

What a difference the years make?

Isn’t it strange that a large number of Tories are now kicking up a stink about the reduction proposed? –  Just a few years ago, so we are told by councillors serving their areas at the time,  the Tory administration pledged to stop cutting the grants to voluntary organisations (which they subsequently did anyway – and instead reduce their own overheads by doing what is now proposed by ‘Your Waverley’s new boys and girls!

Did they carry out their pledge to cut the number of councillors?  Like hell they did – just words – Tory turkeys don’t vote for Christmas do they?

 

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