‘Land grab’ will mean fewer jobs and services, says leader

A COUNCIL leader has denounced a “no frills land grab” by a neighbouring authority which he says will lead to loss of jobs, open space and services.

East Riding Council leader Coun Steve Parnaby said he’d had enough of the “claptrap” spouted by Hull councillors over boundary changes – and questioned why would anyone want to be taken over by them.

Thousands of voters in 12 parishes will be offered a postal vote in September on whether they wish to remain in the East Riding.

Coun Parnaby said the East Riding got almost half the funding per head from Government, compared to Hull which got £772, but had avoided “the slash and burn and large-scale redundancies made by the city council in recent years”.

In criticism of the city council – which is to consult on reducing opening times at libraries by a third – he said: “We have invested in and developed our customer service centres, not closed them. We invest in our libraries, museums and art galleries.

“We have seven main leisure centres which are either new or recently refurbished. What is Hull doing?”

But former Hull council leader Colin Inglis, who was behind plans for a commission of inquiry which will consider expanding the city’s boundaries, said: “This isn’t about attacking Coun Parnaby’s empire, it’s about what is best for the entire population of Greater Hull.”