A TOWN council for Darwen could be created using part of the funding allocated to the town.
A share of £250,000 which has been given to five areas in the Blackburn with Darwen borough could be spent to create Darwen town council.
A sum of £50,000 has been given to five neighbourhood areas, Blackburn north, Blackburn south, Blackburn east, Blackburn west and Darwen for a neighbourhood panel to decide where to spend the money in the community.
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Council bosses agreed that £20,000 of the £50,000 could be used to set up a town council which would still leave £30,000 for the panel to improve the community.
If given the go ahead this would mean that no precept would be added to council tax payers living in Darwen.
A town council for Darwen is one of the key aims of the Lancashire Telegraph We're Backing Darwen campaign which aims to revitalise the town.
A referendum will be held in September where people can vote on whether they want a town council for Darwen.
Currently there two models being considered for the town council. One would see the introduction of a Darwen mayor and an additional eight councillors who would just serve on the town council. The other would see the Blackburn with Darwen deputy mayor post scrapped in favour of a Darwen mayor and Darwen councillors would then stand as town council representatives as well, if they wanted to.
Coun Tony Melia, For Darwen party leader, said: "There is a grant that is giving to the primary parent authority, in this case Blackburn with Darwen Council, which is being divided between five areas in the borough.
"The legal team at the council have said that some of that funding which will also be given to Darwen could be used to create a town council.
"This way there would be no additional funds out of the borough to create the town council.
"I don't think it is fair to have a town council using other funds allocated to Blackburn with Darwen and this funding has been set aside for Darwen. "
Cllr Melia, who would pay for the Mayor and the extra Cllr's expenses??? What would be the ongoing costs year on year??? What would the Council be able to make in the way of Executive decisions.
Your support of a Town Council for Darwen is admirable, but as the saying goes "the devil is in the detail" so I am afraid I will not be getting excited about this until proper costings are put before me.
Cllr Melia, who would pay for the Mayor and the extra Cllr's expenses??? What would be the ongoing costs year on year??? What would the Council be able to make in the way of Executive decisions.
Your support of a Town Council for Darwen is admirable, but as the saying goes "the devil is in the detail" so I am afraid I will not be getting excited about this until proper costings are put before me.
Cllr Melia, who would pay for the Mayor and the extra Cllr's expenses??? What would be the ongoing costs year on year??? What would the Council be able to make in the way of Executive decisions.
Your support of a Town Council for Darwen is admirable, but as the saying goes "the devil is in the detail" so I am afraid I will not be getting excited about this until proper costings are put before me.
Cllr Melia, who would pay for the Mayor and the extra Cllr's expenses??? What would be the ongoing costs year on year??? What would the Council be able to make in the way of Executive decisions.
Your support of a Town Council for Darwen is admirable, but as the saying goes "the devil is in the detail" so I am afraid I will not be getting excited about this until proper costings are put before me.
Posted by: Honest Darrener, Darwen. on on 10:56pm Wed 7 May 08
Like Andy B,Darwen on, who would pay for Mayor and extra Councillors? What power would the Darwen Town Council have and what decisions would they be able too give etc also would our Council Tax go up to pay for anything to do with the running of our own Council etc. These are some of the Questions we want answered before we have our Referendum in September 08.
Like Andy B,Darwen on, who would pay for Mayor and extra Councillors? What power would the Darwen Town Council have and what decisions would they be able too give etc also would our Council Tax go up to pay for anything to do with the running of our own Council etc. These are some of the Questions we want answered before we have our Referendum in September 08.
This is just a massive ego trip for Councillor Melia, at best. Just like the pie in the sky propsal for Robin Bank.
Just look at the promises he made last year, stop the academy, a leisure centre on one site, all sorts of promises for Darwen. He has done absolutely nothing. Try phoning him with an issue, no response. He is in it for the business not for people.
Has he done anything for anyone ?
This is just a massive ego trip for Councillor Melia, at best. Just like the pie in the sky propsal for Robin Bank.
Just look at the promises he made last year, stop the academy, a leisure centre on one site, all sorts of promises for Darwen. He has done absolutely nothing. Try phoning him with an issue, no response. He is in it for the business not for people.
Why should it cost anything?
Present councillors get payed now for being councillors, the Darwen Town Hall is still the Darwen Town Hall and i am sure that all the 16 councillors do not need a big chamber and a Mayor.
1 room and a table with chairs and officers just like we have at most committies in Blackburn!
The Mayor should cost nothing as he or she will take over the duties of the assistant Mayor.
I worked this out with Tony Melia when we started this in 2007 so i do not see where the extra cost comes in? It is serving councillors doing what they do in Blackburn but now doing the same with a smaller work load in Darwen.
Might be me making it simple but then again Blackburn and Darwen councillors in council seem to make the simple things hard!
Why should it cost anything?
Present councillors get payed now for being councillors, the Darwen Town Hall is still the Darwen Town Hall and i am sure that all the 16 councillors do not need a big chamber and a Mayor.
1 room and a table with chairs and officers just like we have at most committies in Blackburn!
The Mayor should cost nothing as he or she will take over the duties of the assistant Mayor.
I worked this out with Tony Melia when we started this in 2007 so i do not see where the extra cost comes in? It is serving councillors doing what they do in Blackburn but now doing the same with a smaller work load in Darwen.
Might be me making it simple but then again Blackburn and Darwen councillors in council seem to make the simple things hard!
Posted by: legal eagle, Darwen on 9:00am Thu 8 May 08
[quote][bold]cllr M Johnson[/bold] wrote:
Why should it cost anything? Present councillors get payed now for being councillors, the Darwen Town Hall is still the Darwen Town Hall and i am sure that all the 16 councillors do not need a big chamber and a Mayor. 1 room and a table with chairs and officers just like we have at most committies in Blackburn! The Mayor should cost nothing as he or she will take over the duties of the assistant Mayor. I worked this out with Tony Melia when we started this in 2007 so i do not see where the extra cost comes in? It is serving councillors doing what they do in Blackburn but now doing the same with a smaller work load in Darwen. Might be me making it simple but then again Blackburn and Darwen councillors in council seem to make the simple things hard! [/quote] Cllr Johnson, if you created a town council, legally you will need a separate band of councillors and a civic figure so yes you would have to pay for this. If you did not opt for this then in effect the plan would not be for a town council but instead an area forum. Both would have similar powers but the town council would require a precept to pay for it levied on Darwen taxpayers.
cllr M Johnson wrote:
Why should it cost anything? Present councillors get payed now for being councillors, the Darwen Town Hall is still the Darwen Town Hall and i am sure that all the 16 councillors do not need a big chamber and a Mayor. 1 room and a table with chairs and officers just like we have at most committies in Blackburn! The Mayor should cost nothing as he or she will take over the duties of the assistant Mayor. I worked this out with Tony Melia when we started this in 2007 so i do not see where the extra cost comes in? It is serving councillors doing what they do in Blackburn but now doing the same with a smaller work load in Darwen. Might be me making it simple but then again Blackburn and Darwen councillors in council seem to make the simple things hard!
Cllr Johnson, if you created a town council, legally you will need a separate band of councillors and a civic figure so yes you would have to pay for this. If you did not opt for this then in effect the plan would not be for a town council but instead an area forum. Both would have similar powers but the town council would require a precept to pay for it levied on Darwen taxpayers.
[quote][bold]legal eagle[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]cllr M Johnson[/bold] wrote: Why should it cost anything? Present councillors get payed now for being councillors, the Darwen Town Hall is still the Darwen Town Hall and i am sure that all the 16 councillors do not need a big chamber and a Mayor. 1 room and a table with chairs and officers just like we have at most committies in Blackburn! The Mayor should cost nothing as he or she will take over the duties of the assistant Mayor. I worked this out with Tony Melia when we started this in 2007 so i do not see where the extra cost comes in? It is serving councillors doing what they do in Blackburn but now doing the same with a smaller work load in Darwen. Might be me making it simple but then again Blackburn and Darwen councillors in council seem to make the simple things hard! [/quote] Cllr Johnson, if you created a town council, legally you will need a separate band of councillors and a civic figure so yes you would have to pay for this. If you did not opt for this then in effect the plan would not be for a town council but instead an area forum. Both would have similar powers but the town council would require a precept to pay for it levied on Darwen taxpayers.[/quote] I understand what you are saying and i do not disagree, what i am asking is why do we need to pay more money for this?
The civic figure would be the deputy Mayor whos position in Blackburn would be scraped as the Darwen Mayor would take up that position then fufill the Darwen civic duties and if needed fill in for the Blackburn Mayor and visa versa.
The Darwen councillors fill the Darwen roles as a seperate band covering the Darwen duties dealing only with Darwen issues, recieving no extra pay as the work load would be less because the darwen positions in Blackburn would be filled by Blackburn councillors.
Councillors do not need to be payed any more money for doing what they are doing now.
The cost for the Darwen Mayor would cost no more money as it would be funded by the money saved by doing away with the Blackburn deputy mayor position.
The rest is just logistics for the council officers.
I asked for a break down of the costs from our council and why they would be needed and what they would the be needed for.
At this moment in time no one has been able to answer my question because no one actually did know them selves.
I know it might seem to be me that is making things simple but this situation is in fact in action now in our council. The only difference is we will de doing it in Darwen not Blackburn.
If some one can give me the facts and explain the costs then i and the public would be intrested to know what they are.
legal eagle wrote:
cllr M Johnson wrote: Why should it cost anything? Present councillors get payed now for being councillors, the Darwen Town Hall is still the Darwen Town Hall and i am sure that all the 16 councillors do not need a big chamber and a Mayor. 1 room and a table with chairs and officers just like we have at most committies in Blackburn! The Mayor should cost nothing as he or she will take over the duties of the assistant Mayor. I worked this out with Tony Melia when we started this in 2007 so i do not see where the extra cost comes in? It is serving councillors doing what they do in Blackburn but now doing the same with a smaller work load in Darwen. Might be me making it simple but then again Blackburn and Darwen councillors in council seem to make the simple things hard!
Cllr Johnson, if you created a town council, legally you will need a separate band of councillors and a civic figure so yes you would have to pay for this. If you did not opt for this then in effect the plan would not be for a town council but instead an area forum. Both would have similar powers but the town council would require a precept to pay for it levied on Darwen taxpayers.
I understand what you are saying and i do not disagree, what i am asking is why do we need to pay more money for this?
The civic figure would be the deputy Mayor whos position in Blackburn would be scraped as the Darwen Mayor would take up that position then fufill the Darwen civic duties and if needed fill in for the Blackburn Mayor and visa versa.
The Darwen councillors fill the Darwen roles as a seperate band covering the Darwen duties dealing only with Darwen issues, recieving no extra pay as the work load would be less because the darwen positions in Blackburn would be filled by Blackburn councillors.
Councillors do not need to be payed any more money for doing what they are doing now.
The cost for the Darwen Mayor would cost no more money as it would be funded by the money saved by doing away with the Blackburn deputy mayor position.
The rest is just logistics for the council officers.
I asked for a break down of the costs from our council and why they would be needed and what they would the be needed for.
At this moment in time no one has been able to answer my question because no one actually did know them selves.
I know it might seem to be me that is making things simple but this situation is in fact in action now in our council. The only difference is we will de doing it in Darwen not Blackburn.
If some one can give me the facts and explain the costs then i and the public would be intrested to know what they are.
Cllr Johnson, according to the original story above -
"Currently there two models being considered for the town council. One would see the introduction of a Darwen mayor and an [bold]additional eight councillors[/bold] who would just serve on the town council. The other would see the Blackburn with Darwen deputy mayor post scrapped in favour of a Darwen mayor and Darwen councillors would then stand as town council representatives as well, [bold]if they wanted to."[/bold]
I have specific concern with the portions of text I have higlighted above. One clearly states an additional 8 Cllrs, whilst the other states the Borough Cllrs could stand "if they wanted". What if they did not want to do both??? Who would make up the shortfall????
Both ways would appear to be adding extra cost and extra beauracracy as far as I can see.
Cllr Johnson, according to the original story above -
"Currently there two models being considered for the town council. One would see the introduction of a Darwen mayor and an additional eight councillors who would just serve on the town council. The other would see the Blackburn with Darwen deputy mayor post scrapped in favour of a Darwen mayor and Darwen councillors would then stand as town council representatives as well, if they wanted to."
I have specific concern with the portions of text I have higlighted above. One clearly states an additional 8 Cllrs, whilst the other states the Borough Cllrs could stand "if they wanted". What if they did not want to do both??? Who would make up the shortfall????
Both ways would appear to be adding extra cost and extra beauracracy as far as I can see.
I think you are all missing the point. There was £50K allocated for the Darwen Community. Now Mr Melia wants to take £ 20K of that for 8 Councillors to sit around a table talking, then take their thoughts to Blackburn to have them agreed. Surely it would be better to leave the money for the Community to spend and Darwen Councillors be more effective in the Council instead of propping up Tories who have no support in Darwen anyway.
Its not rocket science
I think you are all missing the point. There was £50K allocated for the Darwen Community. Now Mr Melia wants to take £ 20K of that for 8 Councillors to sit around a table talking, then take their thoughts to Blackburn to have them agreed. Surely it would be better to leave the money for the Community to spend and Darwen Councillors be more effective in the Council instead of propping up Tories who have no support in Darwen anyway.
Quite right Gabs, all the allocated money should be spent on community projects / improvements. Why should 20k be used to set up a town council? I thought For darwen keep saying it will not cost anything?
Also who is deciding who will sit on the neighbourhood panel to vote on how this money is spent? Why can't ordinary residents make suggestions and then the people of darwen could vote on the choices, or is that too much hard work. The people of Darwen are meant to have a say on how this money is spent. It shouldn't be spent supporting a few ego trips.
Quite right Gabs, all the allocated money should be spent on community projects / improvements. Why should 20k be used to set up a town council? I thought For darwen keep saying it will not cost anything?
Also who is deciding who will sit on the neighbourhood panel to vote on how this money is spent? Why can't ordinary residents make suggestions and then the people of darwen could vote on the choices, or is that too much hard work. The people of Darwen are meant to have a say on how this money is spent. It shouldn't be spent supporting a few ego trips.
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