Implementation Executive to meet for first time

The Government’s orders relating to the merging of the county, borough and district councils to form a unitary council for Shropshire have been agreed by the House of Commons and are expected to be confirmed shortly by the House of Lords.

This means the Implementation Executive (IE), consisting of 29 councillors drawn from all six current councils, will have decision-making powers when it meets on Friday 29 February.

The IE has been meeting informally since late last year to consider preliminary planning for a smooth transition to unitary. Now it has formal decision-making powers, its meetings will be open to members of the public and representatives from the media. Its agendas and minutes will be publicised on all the councils’ websites.

Items on the forthcoming agenda include a draft blueprint for the new council, which will bring together the development of the unitary business case. Also on the agenda is a report outlining the progress made by the 28 project teams working on the Unitary Transition Programme Plan.

Another report due to be considered by the IE proposes six more Local Joint Committee pilots are rolled out during 2008/09. The name of the unitary council will also be discussed, with councillors being asked to consider a recommendation that the unitary council is called Shropshire Council.

The IE meeting will be held at Shirehall, Shrewsbury, on Friday 29 February, starting at 12.00 noon. Members of the public are welcome to attend the historic first meeting, and all subsequent meetings.

The IE will be looking at setting up three sub-committees – Resources, Services and Local Development Framework – which will also be meeting on a regular basis and will be open to the public in the same way as the IE.

Malcolm Pate, Leader of Shropshire County Council, who will chair the IE, said: “I am pleased that after some delay from the Government we can continue to move forward towards a unitary council for Shropshire. Colleagues from county, borough and district councils have already been holding constructive discussions, but we will now be able to make official decisions and start moving the process on.”

The new council will start work on 1 April 2009. The election of councillors to the new council will be held in May 2009.

25 February 2008