Big changes are afoot in the way we are governed locally. These changes come into effect progressively from 1st May this year, 2008. On that date there was a round of local elections and these determined who will manage local policies, services and finances until May 2011, during which time there will be a change from the present two tier local government structure to the new single tier, or unitary, structure selected by central government.
The old two tier structure
At the top we have Cheshire County Council (CCC). They provide and manage a wide range of services including education, highways, libraries, country parks, children's and social services. Below the county there are presently six district or borough councils, ours being Macclesfield Borough Council (MBC). These have responsibility for such things as local planning and building regulation, refuse collection, council tax collection, environmental health and housing.
In terms of relative size CCC have a budget of about £360m plus responsibility for spending a government grant for education of £355m, a total of £715m. MBC's total budget is about £18m. Figures based on 2007/08 budgets. So you can see that the county council is very much larger than the borough council, but at least half their money is spent on education.
The new single tier, unitary, structure
The two tier structure is to be replaced by a single tier, or unitary, structure. The county council and seven district councils are all to be scrapped and replaced by two new councils, Cheshire West & Chester (CWCC) and Cheshire East (CEC). In theory these two will be entirely autonomous and need never speak to each other. In practice it is likely that they will share some centralised services. However, such matters will be the subject of discussion and decision by the new shadow councils.
East Cheshire
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 The new council area will encompass what is today Macclesfield Borough Council, Congleton Borough Council and Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council. This is a piece of land stretching from the north east to the south west of the whole county of Cheshire. It has to be said that this is probably not the most efficient shape for those who are required to travel in order to provide services across the county. And why east Cheshire? I believe that many of the population of the new area live in south or west Cheshire and one point of the most south westerly boundary of east Cheshire is only a couple of miles from Clwyd in Wales!
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Whither Cheshire county?
As a geographic county Cheshire will continue to exist as it has done for centuries. It will just no longer have a single council governing all of it.
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Getting change under way
The process of changing from the present to the future began on 1st May 2008 with a local government election. We elected councillors to the two new bodies, in Bollington's case, to Cheshire East Council. However, this body of newly elected councillors will operate only as a shadow council for the first eleven months. They will be expected to set up the intended structures for future operation, appoint staff, and attend to the myriad problems that arise when you split one business (CCC) and merge others. They will have to set the budget for the following year, 2009/10.
1st April 2009
This will be the big day! CCC and MBC will cease to exist and the fledgling Cheshire East Council will take over their responsibilities with respect to the people of east Cheshire. God help them!
Bollington Town Council
Amidst this sea of change Bollington Town Council will soldier on regardless! In a structural sense there will be no change. In an operational sense there will be significant change because town councillors and their staff will, from 1st May 2008 need to relate their problems and service requirements to three bodies, CCC, MBC and the shadow CEC. From 1st April 2009 life might get simpler because they will then only need to relate to the fully functioning CEC.
Representation
Let me summarise the changes in representation. Each registered voter in Bollington has the following representatives for whom they can vote at elections ...
Now ...
3 town councillors representing the ward (East, Central or West Bollington)
1 borough councillor for MBC representing the ward (3 for the town)
1 county councillor for CCC representing Bollington & Disley
3 newly elected councillors for the shadow CEC representing Bollington & Disley
From 1st April 2009 ...
3 town councillors representing the ward (East, Central or West Bollington)
3 councillors for CEC representing Bollington & Disley
Key dates
1st April 2009 - Shadow CEC take power and become a real council.
All councillors elected on 1st May 2008 will serve until May 2011.
