NORTHERN IRELAND’S 582 councillors are to be invited to nominate members for new committees overseeing wide-ranging reform of local government.
Environment Minister Sammy Wilson is heading the drive, which will see the number of the North’s councils being reduced from the current 26 to 11 by May 2011.
The new “transition committees” will be drawn from existing councils and will focus on the amalgamation of neighbouring councils which will form the new reformed bodies. The new, larger councils will comprise about 460 councillors and will exercise additional powers ranging from planning to rural development, urban regeneration, economic development and tourism.
A severance scheme similar to that used in the Republic will be made available to long-serving councillors in a bid to encourage new blood into local politics.
Councillors could be offered up to £20,000 (€24,940) in recognition of long service.
Mr Wilson said yesterday: “It is my intention to ensure we put in place the 11 new councils in May 2011 and that they will come into full operation four days after the local elections.”
That election is designed to coincide with an Assembly election scheduled for May 2011, although Stormont officials freely admit that the current instability among the Executive parties makes the holding of that election on that date far from certain.
“My overriding consideration in reaching this decision is that the public expect to see modern, efficient services, including those transferred from central to local government, in place as soon as possible, and I believe it is my responsibility to deliver on this without delay,” Mr Wilson added.
His announcement follows decisions made by the Executive last March, well before the current stalemate over the devolution of policing and justice and other issues. The new committees, one for each of the proposed councils, will comprise of up to 16 members and will have some £150,000 (€187,000) in funding to engage in preparatory work for the new authorities.
This work will include the integration of new functions and duties, and management of the estate owned by existing councils. The committees will also have to deal with issues such as the location of new council headquarters, but the Minister can be approached in the last resort if agreement cannot be found.
The committees will need statutory powers, but this is dependent on legislative proposals being brought to the Executive by Mr Wilson, and then to the Assembly. The deadlocked Executive could therefore also delay the reform of local government.