The shape of councils to come

Politics

Why you have to hand it to Arlene

Friday, March 14, 2008

This is the new shape of local government in Northern Ireland under a hard-fought compromise between the DUP and Sinn Fein.

The present 26 councils are to be reduced to 11, rather than the seven 'super' authorities envisaged under Direct Rule .

After months of tough, detailed negotiations, DUP and Sinn Fein Ministers yesterday voted through an 11-council model, with the support of SDLP Minister Margaret Ritchie, who is in America.

Only the two UUP ministers, Sir Reg Empey and Michael McGimpsey, voted against.

And while Sinn Fein dropped its opposition to 11 to allow the deal to be reached, the UUP last night accused DUP minister Arlene Foster of handing Belfast and the west of the province over to nationalists.

The compromise returns a greater degree of local identity to councils, but at greater cost to the public purse.

Now 11 council headquarters will be required, for example, rather than seven.

And two years ago a Government commissioned inquiry concluded the same economies of scale would not be possible under an 11-strong model.

_{1 Down, 2 Newry and Mourne, 3 Banbridge, 4 Craigavon, 5 Armagh, 6
Dungannon, 7 Cookstown, 8 Magherafelt, 9 Fermanagh, 10 Omagh, 11 Strabane,
12 Derry, 13 Limavady, 14 Coleraine, 15 Ballymoney, 16 Moyle, 17 Ballymena,
18 Larne, 19 Carrickfergus, 20 Newtownabbey, 21 Antrim, 22 Lisburn, 23
Belfast, 24 Castlereagh, 25 North Down, 26 Ards}

The full extent of the power carve-up between Stormont level and local government will be revealed in the Assembly after Easter, when Mrs Foster will formally postpone next year's scheduled elections.

The Environment Minister, whose portfolio includes local government, said the 11 areas would deliver important services "in an efficient and effective manner".

The range of functions which will switch to the new councils, due to be in place by 2011, will include aspects of planning and rural development.

Councils will also have some control over local roads, urban regeneration and community development along with some housing responsibilities as well as local economic development and tourism.

But the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA), the councils' umbrella body, last night said the province had been left with the weakest local authorities in western Europe.

NILGA vice-president Arnold Hatch said: "It's a politial compromise by the two major parties but at least a decision has been made providing some clarity and allowing for modernisation."

Sinn Fein's Assembly group leader John O'Dowd said: "Sinn Fein believe that a seven council model is best.

"The DUP and the other parties have previously advocated 15. On the single issue of numbers this is clearly a compromise position on all sides."

But Ulster Unionist Assemblyman Fred Cobain said the deal left Belfast city council and the entire west of the province dominated by nationalists.

"What the Provos could not do in 30 years with bombs and bullets they will do with a stroke of a pen, and that is turning Belfast green," the north Belfast MLA said.

Meanwhile, Mrs Foster said: "Our vision for local government is of a strong, dynamic local government creating communities that are vibrant, healthy, prosperous, safe and sustainable and have the needs of all citizens at their core. "

SDLP local government spokesman Tommy Gallagher said nationalists in the west would be particularly glad to see the end of the seven super-council model "proposed by Peter Hain and championed by Sinn Fein".