Town councils on list of solutions to city budget crisis

Cash-strapped local authority bosses say power over some services could be handed to new town councils in Herne Bay and Whitstable.

The ambitious move is one option on the table as Canterbury City Council reviews the way it is run in the face of funding cuts of £8.2 million over the next six years.

It is exploring ways of passing over some of its responsibilities, giving local people more control while protecting its increasingly squeezed budget.

Other options in its community governance review include merging parish councils and giving them greater powers to manage their own village facilities and services, such as public toilets, play areas and parks.

But any clamour for stripping power away from central Canterbury will likely come at a cost.

People in rural areas already pay between £22 and £80 in parish precepts on top of their council tax bills, but would potentially see increased levies as more services are taken on.

A working group has been set up to oversee the governance review, with a public consultation launched last week.

Group chairman Cllr Ben Fitter-harding says all options will be explored and consulted on – including retaining the status quo if people feel it works best.

“The purpose of this review is to check that people are being represented as they feel they need to be and are not disconnected,” he said.

“We haven’t done a governance review for some years and it’s time to hear from people what they think about how the district is run and whether there are other ways we could be doing things.

“But we are not talking about fragmenting the district into three urban areas.

“It’s quite a complex issue and we have tried to set it out as simply as possible and want to hear the thoughts of everyone on what they think.”

The governance review proposals can be seen and commented on at www.canterbury.gov.uk before October 8.

Responses will be considered by the council before any recommendations are made for a further consultation.

It aims to have any new arrangements in place before the local elections in 2019.

Cllr Ben Fitter-harding