Residents deserve to have say on issues

THE people of Macclesfield have voted in favour of a town council.

The leader of the council is not happy with the result and calls for further consultation. His favoured option is an Enhanced Local Service Delivery Committee.

Unfortunately, most people didn’t know what this would be. There were no terms of reference given to us and, although Coun Jones attempted to throw some together during the consultation period when some people had already voted, this was clearly undemocratic.

The Labour group has kept to the promise we made in our manifesto to support a town council, the most effective way, we believe, to strengthen local democracy.

The Local Service Delivery Committee (LSDC) has no power to influence anything.

When the Conservatives lost the chair of this committee to Labour with an Independent ViceChair, so many obstacles were put in the way.

It was only the dogged determination of vice chairman Coun Roberts, and I that finally got the council, to agree that we could meet and that an officer would be in attendance.

Late last year a group of residents objecting to green belt development attended a meeting of the LSDC.

They were told that they could not address the committee because planning was outside its remit.

Had there been a town council they would have been able to make their views known.