Motion - Shared Services
To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor P. M. McDonald which stands deferred from the meeting of the Council held on 14th September 2011:-
“It was originally agreed that a feasibility study would be carried into whether Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Council could take advantage of economies of scale through sharing services. It was agreed from the outset that should any political group decide against a move to share services then it would not go ahead.
With the outcome of the feasibility study it was decided by a political group it did not support the outcome to share services. This was ignored by the controlling group who embarked on shared services with Redditch spending millions of pounds on start-up costs.
From shared services it developed into shared management, shared authority to merging with Wyre Forest to create a North Worcestershire Authority to rival the County Council.
At no time have the residents of Bromsgrove been consulted and all decisions relating to this issue have been made and discussed in secret. The actions being taken in secret threaten to lose Bromsgrove’s identity and service supplied on local need.
Therefore we call upon the Council to have a referendum letting the people decide on whether they agree with the decisions that have been made in secret and want to merge with Redditch and Wyre Forest.”
Minutes:
Members considered the following motion submitted by Councillor P. M. McDonald.
“It was originally agreed that a feasibility study would be carried into whether Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Council could take advantage of economies of scale through sharing services. It was agreed from the outset that should any political group decide against a move to share services then it would not go ahead.
With the outcome of the feasibility study it was decided by a political group it did not support the outcome to share services. This was ignored by the controlling group who embarked on shared services with Redditch spending millions of pounds on start-up costs.
From shared services it developed into shared management, shared authority to merging with Wyre Forest to create a North Worcestershire Authority to rival the County Council.
At no time have the residents of Bromsgrove been consulted and all decisions relating to this issue have been made and discussed in secret. The actions being taken in secret threaten to lose Bromsgrove’s identity and service supplied on local need.
Therefore we call upon the Council to have a referendum letting the people decide on whether they agree with the decisions that have been made in secret and want to merge with Redditch and Wyre Forest.”
The motion was moved by Councillor P. M. McDonald and seconded by Councillor E. J. Murray.
Following some debate Councillor J. A. Ruck moved a closure motion that the motion be put to the vote but this was not seconded.
Following the right of reply by Councillor P. M. McDonald as the mover of the motion, on a requisition under Council Procedure 17.5, the following details of voting were recorded.
For the motion: Councillors C. J. Bloore, Ms. M. T. Buxton, Mrs. C. M. McDonald, P. M. McDonald, E. J. Murray, Mrs. E. M. Shannon, R. J. Shannon, S. P. Shannon and C. J. K. Wilson (9);
Against the motion: Councillors Mrs. S. J. Baxter, Dr. D. W. P. Booth JP, Mrs. J. M. Boswell, J. R. Boulter, J. S. Brogan, M. A. Bullivant, R. A. Clarke, S. R. Colella, Dr. B. T. Cooper, R. J. Deeming, S. J. Dudley, K. A. Grant-Pierce, Miss P. A. Harrison, R. Hollingworth, Mrs. H. J. Jones, R. J. Laight, P. Lammas, J. A. Ruck, C. R. Scurrell, C. B. Taylor, C. J. Tidmarsh. L. J. Turner and M. J. A. Webb (23);
Abstentions: 0
Accordingly, the Chairman declared the motion to be LOST.