23.09.11
Local councils in Northern Ireland to be cut
Plans to cut the number of local councils in Northern Ireland from 26 to 15 by 2015 were revealed after executive ministers met on Thursday and received a draft programme for government.
First Minister Peter Robinson claimed the plans “should see some more power going to local government”. He also said that “with the reduced number of councils it should provide us with economies of scale that in the long-term will be helpful”.
The plan to cut the number of local councils was first agreed in March 2008 but has not progressed since. The efforts to reduce the number of councils failed during the last mandate as a result of issues like the placing of electoral ward Dunmurry within a new body.
The new councils will be established in shadow form under the Reform of Public Administration alongside the existing bodies from 2014 and will become operational the following year.
The reform of local government will give the larger organisations greater powers. It was anticipated during the last mandate, for example, that the new councils would handle powers like economic development.
The power to progress matters lies with local government minister Alex Attwood.
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