Sir - According to our Premier’s latest initiative, town and parish councils are to be given the necessary powers to run their own neighbourhoods in the way they and their electorate want.
Those of us who are long in the teeth will recognise that, if this proposal ever comes to fruition, it is nothing more than the restoration of the status quo which existed prior to 1972 and the infamous Local Government Act of that year.
No mention is made of how this tier of local government is to be funded but there are no prizes to be won for guessing that the costs of this exercise will be borne by the council tax payer.
What does this exciting proposal mean for the future of district councils? With all the new authority to be bestowed upon town and parish councils, there will be nothing left for district councils to do, which only goes to prove that these bodies were totally unnecessary and nothing more than a political exercise in job creation in the first place.
Richard Crouch
Cotmaton Road
Sidmouth
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here