Super-council model under fire from UUP
Published Date:
23 April 2008
By Staff Reporter
THE creation of 11 super-councils in Ulster will dilute regional identity, an Ulster Unionist politican has claimed.
East Antrim Assemblyman Roy Beggs told the Assembly yesterday that reducing the current 26 council model down to 15 constituency areas would more appropriately reflect the needs of communities.
The existing structure is set to be replaced in 2011.
Mr Beggs said: "This entire process (the Review of Public Administration] set out to strengthen and rejuvenate local government but there is a danger under this model that people may lose interest and affinity with their local councillors and local institutions and deem that local government would become remote and less responsive to their needs.
"Our chief concern is whether the 11 local government units adequately reflect the local government and communities of Northern Ireland.
"This is why we have consistently suggested that the local government boundaries must be placed on parliamentary units.
"Westminster parliamentary units would provide a more appropriate form of local government."
Concerns about the proposed re-structuring of council boundaries were also raised by members of the SDLP and Alliance Party.
The full article contains 189 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
23 April 2008 9:24 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Belfast
