Liberal Democrats Propose Radical Change to Sefton Governance Structure

One of the most distinctive proposals in the recently published Lib Dem Manifesto for the May Local Elections is to alter radically the way Sefton does business. The basic idea is to give back to local communities some of the power over their own destiny that they had before Sefton was formed 50 years ago and to bring decision-making closer to the people.

“ Our proposal is to create 5 powerful township committees for Southport ,Bootle, Crosby, Maghull and Formby and put the ‘local’ back into local government”,  says Lib Dem opposition leader on Sefton, Cllr. John Pugh.

" Hardly anybody says they live in ‘Sefton’.  We belong to natural communities that have their own network of shops, businesses, churches, voluntary associations and schools and in every one of those communities there is the feeling that the Council is remote and unresponsive, and at times uninformed.

The truth is it is. The Liberal Democrats are proposing a radical change to the status quo. We believe that the current Labour “One Sefton” policy is mistaken and rides roughshod over the strengths, history and issues of the natural communities that fall within the local government boundary.

Most of Sefton’s decisions currently are made in private by a single councillor- the relevant member of the 9-strong Sefton Cabinet who effectively rule Sefton.

The other 57 Sefton councillors and the general public get to hear about decisions only when the Cabinet member publishes their decision. 

Nobody else has the power to change a decision once it is made. The Cabinet member can be asked to think again if the decision is really stupid by a Scrutiny Committee, but no-one can recall that  ever happening on Sefton in recent times, as Scrutiny Committees are being run by people in the same party as the Cabinet Member who made the original decision.  

We want to take power away from the Cabinet and give it to Township Committees composed only of the councillors elected by a specific community. They would meet regularly and the public would be encouraged to attend make representations and be heard and more importantly have issues dealt with within an overall Council strategy and budget.  

The Liberal Democrat proposal would see local police and NHS representatives adopted onto Township Committees in line with the  Merseyside Police's own plans for community policing and the NHS plans for Neighbourhood Health Hubs.  

“We need to join things up,” says Cllr. Pugh. “ To have one place where the ordinary person can have their concerns about public services responded to would be widely welcome - whether it’s about the hole in the road, speeding through the streets or the eternal wait to get your call answered at the local surgery. Township Committees would be great environments too to progress local community initiatives, and getting local organisations working together. "