Take our Have Your Say East Cambs Survey
East Cambs residents are being asked to have their say on plans to abolish district and county councils.
Under government proposals all district and county councils are to be merged into unitary authorities serving populations of around half a million.
In East Cambridgeshire it means the district council which currently serves a population of around 90,000 will be absorbed into a larger authority.
Council Leader Anna Bailey, said: “This is going to happen. I think this is very sad and we cannot change it. But what we can do is try and make sure what we really value about East Cambridgeshire is protected in perpetuity – and for that we need your help.”
The council is asking residents to complete a short Have Your Say East Cambs survey. It asks residents how much they value current services offered by the district council. Results will be used to help formulate an outline proposal for creating a new unitary authority, which all councils have been asked to submit to government by 21 March.
Anna added: “We are extremely proud of our work to support the communities of East Cambridgeshire. “Unlike the majority of other councils, we have not increased Council Tax in 12 years, we have no debt and we have a balanced budget for the next two years. In addition, we are able to provide affordable homes for residents, offer a face-to-face drop in clinics for people who need help and advice, and a free garden waste collection service, among many other benefits.
“All this is achievable because 9 years ago we took the decision to be responsible for our own destiny and set up two trading companies. East Cambs Street Scene delivers our waste services and East Cambs Trading Company runs the ever-popular Ely Markets and Palace Green Homes which builds new and affordable homes for residents. This has helped support the council to the tune of £4.2 million – which in turn has been spent on keeping Council Tax affordable and supporting community initiatives.
“Under the proposals, East Cambs will be merged into a larger unitary authority and we risk losing this flexibility and many of the benefits that come with it.
“Therefore, we’re encouraging as many people as possible to complete our Have Your Say East Cambs Survey. We want to do what we can to identify and protect what is special about East Cambs, whether it’s our sense of community, our commitment to helping the environment or our drive to provide affordable homes for local people. We cannot risk being swallowed up and losing everything the council has achieved over the last 50 years.”
Read more on our website and complete the short survey. Hard copies of the survey are available on request by calling 01353 665555.