Uttlesford Liberal Democrats have laid out a plan to keep government local in the face of an upcoming restructure.
Local government reorganisation is being introduced by the central government, with the two-tier system giving way to unitary councils.
A motion proposed by Cllr Geoffrey Sell and seconded by Cllr Richard Silcock was passed at the last full council meeting on April 22, stating that: "This council believes that:
"i) local government reorganisation should ensure that decision making is made at the lowest possible level.
"ii) It further believes that it is essential to keep the local in local government.
"iii) That local government reorganisation should ensure a greater role for town and parish councils."
READ MORE
The council's preferred option is a unitary authority comprising Uttlesford, Epping Forest and Harlow.
Liberal Democrats stated that residents need to know that in Harlow council tax is more than £100 higher than in Uttlesford, and its housing stock is more than 9,000 houses built between the 1950s and 1970s which have not stood the test of time well, while Uttlesford's housing stock is 2,800.
Cllr Silcock said: "Unitary local government will mean local government becoming more remote and more expensive."
Share