Unitary council appeal dismissed (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Unitary council appeal dismissed

9:12am Wednesday 5th March 2008

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An appeal against the abolition of Wiltshire's local councils has been dismissed.

The appeal court hearing was instigated by Shrewsbury and Congleton Councils, with financial support from other local authorities including West Wiltshire.

There were five grounds of appeal, three of which - lack of public support for the proposals, contravention of the European Charter of Local Government, and a lack of balance on the government website, were dismissed by the appeal court judges.

The other two grounds - that the government had gone against its own earlier legislation and that the Secretary of State had exceeded her legal powers in promoting the abolition of the local councils, gave rise to a detailed argument about the British constitution which concluded that the government is within its rights to make the change.

The judges did express some concern about the way the process had been handled by the government, but accepted the argument that if corners were cut it was in the interests of a quick decision and resolution.

"This decision is not a surprise," commented West Wilts LibDem leader Trevor Carbin. "I just wish the District Council's Conservative administration had taken our advice and not wasted up to £30,000 - equivalent to a quarter of the recent council tax rise - on this fruitless escapade."

"I'm very worried about the prospects for local democracy in Wiltshire, but we all have a responsibility now to make the best of it, and to fight for the rights of local people to influence the new Wiltshire Council."

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