Peoples' Forums speak out on local government reorganisation

Added: 20/11/2007
Category: South Norfolk Council

Local people now have a chance to use South Norfolk Council's new neighbourhood forums to speak out on local government reorganisation.

Concern about reorganisation has even prompted one Forum to change its name from Norwich Fringe to Yare Valley.

That change is expected to be ratified at its meeting on Wednesday (21 November).

The Council has set up five forums where local people can identify problem hot spots for action and make strong representations for ways that could improve their local area. All five meet in the next two weeks.

Now Council Leader John Fuller has put local government reorganisation on their agenda.

He is determined to let the people speak on this issue, in spite of what he and others have condemned as the "almost impossible" timetable for first preference views set by the Boundary Committee For England.

At a recent special summit meeting in South Norfolk Council, where over 100 town, parish and district councillors responded to his call to attend, the timetable was also attacked.

Elected councillors representing every community attended, and there was concern that they were being asked to make decisions in weeks on a reorganisation that would affect local people for generations.

Councillor Fuller said:

"Councils in Norfolk are being put in an impossible position by the Government's hasty demands to carve-up local government boundaries by the end of November.

"Despite almost impossible timescales, South Norfolk remains the only Norfolk council which is consulting with residents about how local councils in the county might look for the next 100 years at this early stage."

The first of the five meetings is the Yare Valley Neighbourhood Forum - formerly the Norwich Fringe Neighbourhood Forum - chaired by Councillor Margaret Dewsbury.

It could be split in two if Norwich City Council gets its way on its own local government reorganisation ambitions.

Councillor Dewsbury says it is mounting concern over local government reorganisation that has led to the name change. She said:

"As a result of Norwich City Council's aggressive unitary local government campaign, and the concern over reorganisation, this Forum is expected to change its name from "Norwich Fringe" to Yare Valley Forum.

"It will send a signal to the City Council that we don't want to be a bit part of their new empire."

The full list of Neighbourhood Forum meetings in November is as follows:
> Yare Valley Forum: 7.30pm on 21 November at Little Melton Village Hall; Chairman Cllr Margaret Dewsbury 01603 759693.

> Eastern River Valleys: 7.30pm on 22 November at Hobart High School; Chairman Cllr Tony Game 01603 518077.

> Central: 7.30pm on 28 November at South Norfolk Council, Long Stratton; Chairman Cllr Hedley Smith 01953 789168.

> Waveney Valley: 7.30pm on 29 November at Dickleburgh Village Hall; Chairman Cllr Tony Palmer 01379 640925.

> Wymondham and West: 7pm on 30 November at Fairland Church, Wymondham; Chairman Cllr Joe Mooney 01953 604482