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Parliament gives new council the seal of approval

Chris Hudson
12/ 3/2008

AFTER months of court cases, reviews and general uncertainty, the new Cheshire East Council has finally been given the green light by the Houses of Parliament.

The House of Commons passed the decision to split the county into two a fortnight ago and last week the House of Lords gave its seal of approval to the decision, clearing the path for Macclesfield to become part of the new unitary authority.

Council leaders at the town hall have welcomed the move by Parliament to pass the Implementation Order abolishing the current two-tier system in favour of two unitary authorities in Cheshire.

The Cheshire East Committee will be chaired by Coun Wesley Fitzgerald, the Leader of Macclesfield Borough Council, who says he is relieved by Parliament’s approval.

He said: "This final decision is a relief all round. It means that we can now get on with the job of creating a new council that will enable public services to be shaped around the residents and communities that will use them.

"As the third biggest unitary council in the north west, the new authority will also be big enough to have regional significance – to attract funding and investment – yet local enough to add real value to people’s lives."

Cheshire County Council, which has always been against the move to two unitaries in Cheshire, has finally acknowledged that the split is official and is planning to work with its district colleagues to protect services. Chief executive Jeremy Taylor said: "However great our genuine concerns for the future and disappointment at a decision opposed by so many, we recognise that this authority’s first responsibility must always be to those it has served for the last 118 years.

"Accordingly, we will work with colleagues in the district councils to do our best to maintain and protect the excellent services so prized by the residents of this county."

A Joint Committee will operate until the May elections, when the Shadow Council takes over the work of planning and developing the policies that will shape the direction of the new authority, which will begin operating from April 2009.