Council responds to consultation criticism (From The Northern Echo)

Council responds to consultation criticism

5:31pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Crook & Weardale News By Duncan Leatherdale

CAMPAIGNERS have criticised a questionnaire that found the majority of respondents are opposed to the creation of a town council.

As reported in The Northern Echo, the survey in Crook found that 52 per cent of the 860 people who responded wanted no change.

But the group behind the campaign for a council in Crook said it was no surprise, claiming the questionnaire was too confusing and an option for a council was not made clear.

The county council conducted the consultation over several months, sending out surveys to more than 7,300 properties, although some claim they did not receive the questionnaire.

Members of the Crook Town Council steering group held an emergency meeting to discuss the findings and will be sending out leaflets to simplify the issue for residents.

They said the form was unclear as it had several different versions of councils for Crook, including one for Crook North, which would exclude the town centre, but include the hill-top villages of Sunniside, Stanley Crook and Billy Row, and another called Crook Central covering the town, Roddymoor, Howden-le-Wear and North Bitchburn.

Steering group treasurer Gavin Jopling said the issue is much simpler than the form made it sound.

He said: "What we want to know is, do people want a town council for Crook and the neighbouring villages?

"Although we are disappointed by the result, it is no surprise to us.

"Most people won't have bothered filling it in because it was far too complicated, while for those who did, there wasn't a clear choice."

John Winter, from the group, said the biggest reason for not supporting a town council was cost.

That would be 40p-a-week maximum to taxpayers but it could provide a valuable service.

He said: "The town council will be able to deal with issues the county does not have the time for and will give Crook a voice."

He also insisted that the steering group would ask that councillors are not paid.

Colette Longbottom, Durham County Council's head of legal and democratic services, said the process was still at an early stage, hence the variety of options, with a draft proposal set to be drawn up and consulted on again on April 1.

She said: "It would not have been appropriate for the council to have consulted on only the steering group's option at such an early stage of the process."