Exclusive: Boundary charges could leave district councillors facing axe

The 44 members of Hambleton District Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to ask the Boundary Commission to undertake a review of the number of councillors it has and how many should remain.

The decision has sparked fresh denials from both leaders of the district councils covering Hambleton and Richmondshire – which already share all services and have a joint chief executive – that it is part of plans to fully merge the two authorities.

But Richmondshire leader Coun Fleur Butler admitted yesterday that the Tory group, which heads the council, is looking at undertaking a similar review of its 34 members, although she stressed it was in its early stages.

“I’m starting discussions with the Conservative group but we have not yet formed a view,” she said.

“It is something we should be looking at and there is definite interest in looking at it further.

“But this has got nothing to do with the merger of the councils.

“Political action and political decision-making is totally different to the management of services. We have managed to keep our political identity from Hambleton.”

Coun Butler admitted she was concerned that Boundary Commission cuts to the number of councillors in Richmondshire could lead to a decline in political autonomy in deeply rural areas, as the review is looked at in terms of a ratio of councillors to population and does not take into account the geography of the area.

The leader of Hambleton Council, Neville Huxtable, denied the Boundary Commission changes would have a similar impact in Hambleton and said the proposals had unanimous support from members.

“We are sharing services, we have not merged as two authorities,” he said. “The numbers of members were set in 1974 and things have moved on since then. It is a great deal different now.

“Along with everything else, we are looking at if we can save money by doing things differently. Everyone has voted in favour of this and it enjoys unanimous support. We will also be consulting with residents to see what they say.

“This could be the biggest political shake-up in Hambleton since 1974. But I don’t think this will have a great impact that the residents will see.

“In my capacity as a county councillor I look over 7,000 people, but as a district councillor it is just 1,800.

“For some members it is only 1,400 people.”

Hambleton District Council needs to make £1.65m in savings in the coming year, although £1.1m has already been found. The authority is one of a number of councils across the country asking the Boundary Commission to review its size.

Local authorities do not have the power to decide on cuts to the number of councillors themselves.

As part of the review, residents would be consulted on the proposed changes, although nothing will be implemented until after the 2015 elections.

At a full Hambleton District Council meeting on Tuesday, members also agreed to freeze their annual allowances for the next four years, which will make savings of £170,000.

Councillors ratified a council tax rise of 2.5 per cent – or £2.24 a year for a Band D property – but the increase will not be passed on to residents. Under a scheme announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Government will pick up the extra cost – effectively freezing the charge for taxpayers.

The district council’s tax bill for an average Band D property will remain at £89.84.