A PLAN to abolish Kirklees Council would be “disruptive, bureaucratic and expensive”, according to a top politician.

Labour leader Clr Mehboob Khan last night claimed people in Huddersfield “wouldn’t even look” at the Conservative proposal.

Earlier this week the Tories unveiled a radical plan to split Kirklees, creating two new councils called Greater Huddersfield and Dewsbury and Spen.

The Conservatives also proposed sharing services such as payroll and human resources with Calderdale Council.

But Clr Khan believes the plan is a bad idea.

The Greenhead Labour man said: “The Tory proposals seem poorly considered and would be unworkable in reality – they would not benefit the local residents or communities of Kirklees.

“People won’t even look at these ideas seriously unless finely detailed plans and costs have been outlined in full.

“History tells us that any major reorganisation of local government is a lengthy, disruptive, bureaucratic and expensive business.

“It isn’t a case of waving a magic wand to move boundaries, this would need primary legislation in the form of an Act of Parliament.”

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England would have to carry out a review before Government ministers could consider any proposal to split Kirklees.

Conservative opposition leader Clr Robert Light said on Tuesday that local government secretary Eric Pickles had been informed of the plan.

Yesterday a spokeswoman for his department explained that changing council boundaries was not a Government priority.

She said: “To help make sensible savings, ministers believe that the priority should be greater joint working and sharing of back office services.

“Councils already have a range of powers to work together and pool functions or services. Wholesale local government restructuring is unlikely to offer value for money.”