It’s good to share says youngest council leader facing cuts battle

Labour leader James Alexander said they would immediately cancel plans for a second new council office, claiming the move would save more than £1m which would instead be spent on flood defences.

The 29-year-old, understood to be the youngest local authority boss in the country, added that an integrated transport system to ease York’s chronic congestion problems would be a major priority for the new administration, and he pledged to kickstart the stalled £1bn York Central project.

Coun Alexander admitted he has held preliminary talks with at least one council about the possibility of sharing services, but would not comment on which authority or which departments.

Sources have suggested there are opportunities in both transport and education, with a potential integrated transport network not only within York but also connecting it with neighbouring cities.

Coun Alexander refused to comment on any details, but said there were opportunities going forward that are not “just cutting jobs and services”.

“The previous administration simply tinkered around the edges without having a holistic approach to the service transformation required,” he said.

“We are keen to work with other authorities, obviously that is partly about sharing best practice, but we also need to look at taking bigger steps and possibly sharing services.

“There are no detailed plans yet, I have spoken with some council leaders and hope to take that further.

“The important thing is to take a completely new look at service delivery, to think which services will be improved if responsibility is shared, and which need to be retained completely in house.”

Labour swept to power in York after capitalising on the collapse of the Liberal Democrat vote, which cost the party 12 seats including former leader Andrew Waller.

The Tories were expected to also cash in, but the party failed to make the big inroads they had hoped and won just three extra seats.

Labour now has 26 seats – a majority of five – and although Coun Alexander admitted national issues played a part in their victory he believes voters in York were ready for a change.

The ruling party has formed a committee which will travel around the city, establishing which services are important to the public and how they would like to see them delivered.

He said: “We have got to deal with a £5m cut from the Government, which, when combined with budgetary pressures, means we have got to find £10m to £12m in savings.

“We have set up a committee that will go around the wards in York, so people can learn about the services that York Council runs and say which they want the council to keep running, and which they want to see provided by someone else.

“That consultation will form the basis of the 2012-13 budget.

“The recommendations will have to be made towards the end of the calendar year.”

Coun Alexander is hoping to encourage investment into the city and believes improving transport will help encourage that.

He is also confident of kickstarting the York Central project, which stalled during the recession having been due to bring thousands of jobs and homes to a brownfield site close to the city’s railway station.

He said: “The focus will be on the economy, we will be working to get large-scale developments off the ground, such as York Central which I hope to consolidate into one plan. At the moment York is heavily reliant on the public sector, we need new business to come here.”

He added: “Businesses tell us that the biggest problem is congestion, we need a proper integrated transport network so there is a genuine alternative for people who currently use their cars.”

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