SBDC disappointed with County Council's Challenge
7 August 2007
Decisions on the future shape of local government in Bedfordshire are to be tested in court, despite all four existing councils having agreed to abide by the government's decision on this, announced on 25 July.
Late last month the government accepted Bedford Borough Council's bid to become an all-purpose unitary council from 2009. As part of that decision, the government accepted that another, Central Bedfordshire unitary council would come into being to manage local government services for the rest of the county.
The three other existing councils - Bedfordshire County Council, Mid-Beds District Council and South Bedfordshire District Council - agreed to work together to create this new body over the next two years.
Now the County Council has unilaterally decided to challenge the government's decision by seeking a judicial review of it.
The judicial review could delay the process significantly and could put Bedfordshire communities behind the rest of the country while this is sorted out.
South Bedfordshire District Council is disappointed in the County Council's decision to mount this challenge. Commenting on the move, the Council's Leader Councillor Norman Costin said that "the County Council's challenge does not match up with the statements it made at the time of the government's decision and after, and it is difficult to see how it believes that this belated reaction will benefit communities throughout Bedfordshire in any way."
Pending further developments, South Bedfordshire District Council is restating its commitment to work with all other councils in the area to respond to the current challenges and make arrangements for the delivery of efficient and effective local services for all who live in, work in or visit Bedfordshire.
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