COUNCILLORS have unveiled plans to wipe Kirklees off the map and create Greater Huddersfield.
Top Conservatives yesterday revealed their ambitious proposal to split the council in two by 2014.
Kirklees Tory leader Clr Robert Light told the Examiner that the Government was aware of the radical plan and had agreed to look at it.
The Conservatives unveiled their proposal yesterday at a press conference at Battyeford Sports Centre in Mirfield. The plan includes:
Creating a new Greater Huddersfield council including the town itself, the Colne Valley, the Holme Valley, Denby Dale and Kirkburton.
Establishing a new Dewsbury and Spen council which would take in Mirfield, Batley and Heckmondwike
The two councils of Greater Huddersfield and Dewsbury and Spen sharing services such as payroll, human resources and emergency planning with Calderdale Council.
Clr Light said it was time to abolish Kirklees, which was established during the local government reorganisation of the 1970s.
“There’s never been so much resentment to Kirklees. Communities have never felt so strongly that the council is remote,” he said.
“Radical surgery should be attempted to the forced marriage of 1973 which forced unwilling communities together.
“Kirklees has never been a success and it never will be simply because it has no identity. Where do you find it on a map? You don’t.”
The Kirklees Conservative leader revealed that communities secretary Eric Pickles knew about the plan.
“The Government is aware, the Secretary of State is aware of our proposals,” he said.
“His view is that if people want to do things that don’t cost money, he will look at the proposals.”
Clr Light believes the changes could be implemented within two years.
“We hope work could start on this in June with elections to the new councils in May 2014. We’re conscious that it’s an ambitious timescale,” he said.
Clr Light believes the changes would save taxpayers millions by reducing the number of senior staff and by allowing the three councils to work together when buying goods and services.
“Once the transition is complete, we’re confident we can save £2.5m a year,” he said.
“Being able to buy as a bigger body will bring tremendous economies of scale.”
Clr Light denied earlier Lib Dem claims that the Conservative plan would lead to four chief executives rather than the current two.
“To say there would be four chief executives is a complete delusion,” he said. “At the moment we have 10 senior managers in Kirklees and Calderdale combined. Under our plan we would have one chief executive and five directors. That means six senior staff rather than 10.”
Clr Light added that two of the top managers would be based in each of the town halls in Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Halifax.
The Conservatives also announced radical plans to change the shape of Calderdale Council at yesterday’s press conference.
Clr Stephen Baines, who leads the opposition Tories, proposed cutting the number of councillors from 51 to 36.
The plan would mean reducing the number of council wards from 17 to 12, meaning each would have roughly the same population as the current 23 wards of Kirklees.
But Clr Baines added there was no prospect of Elland and Brighouse being included in a new Greater Huddersfield council.
“The proposal is that Calderdale stays as it is. There’s no further carving up,” he said.
“The carving up of Kirklees would be subject to a referendum. The people of Kirklees would decide.”
Clr Baines added that Calderdale would keep its identity if the plan went ahead.
“Myths about Huddersfax or Halifield are completely unfounded,” he said. “Calderdale will retain its identity as a council but will benefit from working closely with the others to deliver shared services more effectively and efficiently.”
Kirklees was formed in 1974 as an amalgamation of the councils in Huddersfield, Colne Valley, Denby Dale, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Kirkburton, Meltham, Mirfield, Dewsbury, Batley and Spenborough.
