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John Challoner
Southsea Town Council Was Abolished On St George's Day 2010Extract from The News on March 24, 2010 - See story here"Portsmouth
City Council agreed to axe it after a postal ballot found 66 per cent
of Southsea residents who voted were in favour of seeing it scrapped.It
was the third ballot over the future of the controversial council,
which was set up more than a decade ago. The government overruled the
previous poll, saying there was not overwhelming support for the
council to be wound up. But this time, in a 24 per cent turnout,
1,148 residents wanted the council to continue to exist while 2,243
wanted it abolished.And
a change in the law means the Lib Dem-run city council now has the
power to abolish the town council.It marks the end of a long battle for
Conservative town councillors who fought for the council to survive.Former town councillor Hilary Collins said: 'The Liberal Democrats may be
feeling smug that they have won. 'But they will never remove the
passion people felt when they were working to enhance the lives of the
people in the area. 'The town council gave the people of Southsea a
voice.'"
The problem it seems, was the relevance of
the town council for the majority of the Southsea community. While one
third of residents supported the activities of the council especially
its endeavours to improve the local public realm landscape for example
with street benches, over two thirds of residents were perhaps not impressed that the
additional monies they were paying on top of the city's council tax
were providing discernable value for money.
"The
town council was set up in 1999 by residents who wanted a body to lobby
the city council on local issues and protect the local area. The idea
was initially supported by both Tories and Lib Dems, although the
Labour-led city council was not in favour.The
council charged a precept of between 10 and 20 a year, which Southsea
residents paid on top of Portsmouth council tax. In return the town
council had offices in Clarendon Road which were open to the public,
and paid for community schemes. But the Lib Dems soon changed their
stance on the town council and declared it was a waste of cash. When
they won control in 2007 weren t content to implement minor cost cutting
measures like removing water coolers from their various different offices, they actually sold the offices,
scrapped the precept and gave away the council's money!Lib
Dem city council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson said: 'The people of
Southsea have said they do not want the town council. 'I think it is
right that we listen to them.'All
Lib Dem city councillors voted in favour of abolishing the council, as
well as Tory councillor Luke Stubbs. The rest of the Conservative group
refused to vote. Southsea Town Council was finally abolished for
good on April 23, 2010 - St George's Day."