Mayor calls for a new transport authority and closer co-operation
BRISTOL'S Mayor George Ferguson has called for the creation of a new transport authority and closer working between councils in the city area.
The new man in charge has been speaking to the leaders of the three other unitary councils in the Bristol area and believes a new joined-up approach is needed.
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George Ferguson
In an exclusive interview with The Post, Mr Ferguson unveiled his plan to make Bristol one of the leading city's in the county.
He said: "If you look at other city's such as Manchester they take a much more joined up and pragmatic approach.
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"I have been speaking to the leader of Manchester City Council to see how they work together with the other councils in the area in such a successful way.
"Manchester is a very successful metropolitan area and is a good example of how neighbouring authorities can work together."
Although he stopped short of calling for a return to the days when Avon County Council covered the whole of the area, Mr Ferguson believes closer working arrangements between Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset would lead to clearer strategy and the opportunity to make savings at a time when local authority budgets are coming under ever increasing pressure.
He added: "I think we should move towards being a metropolitan area in the way we run things.
"The first step towards that would be creating an integrated transport authority and an integrated planning authority.
"What is needed is a strategic overview for the area. I think we have been moving in the right direction but we could be doing a lot more."
The Government has made it clear that they would look favourably on a transport authority for the area.
The issue of a new transport authority will be discussed when the full council of Bristol City Council meets next Tuesday.
The council is being urged to back the creation of a new transport authority, which would include representatives from all four councils, from the business community and from the Local Enterprise Partnership.
Although Mr Ferguson did not go as far saying that the next Mayoral election in four year's time should cover the whole of the area, he still believes there is more scope for the four unitary authorities working closer together. He said: "The four local authorities have a lot in common and also have many shared aims. The old days of operating in isolation are not really going to work in the current climate."
Although Mr Ferguson has only been in office for a couple of months, one of his first tasks was to make budget cuts of £30 million.
He said: "I think there is an opportunity for councils to share a lot more resources at a time when we are all making cuts.
"What we should be doing is concentrating on maintaining essential frontline services while sharing resources in areas.
"This should be about protecting our essential services and making savings in areas where there are shared services.
"We could be looking at areas such as legal services, collection of council tax and human resource functions. We are in a financial climate where we need to be looking at all our options and thinking in much more creative ways."
He added: "If you look at three boroughs in west London they are pretty much working together as one local authority.
"I think this would be a move in the right direction and in the current environment the public expect us to be cost conscious."
Comments
by Samtron2000
Monday, January 14 2013, 7:16AM
“" Can anyone tell me why one side of a road in Soundwell should be in Bristol and the other side in South Glosc.? It makes no sense."
Look at an aerial photo of gtr Manchester and see if you can guess where Bolton becomes Salford becomes Trafford becomes Manchester becomes Stockport become Tameside becomes Oldham becomes Rochdale becomes bury! I'll give you Wigan as that sticks out a bit!”
by ashleyvale
Friday, January 11 2013, 6:15PM
“I totally agree with FromMendip and Tiny_Steve. Bristol has always expanded in the past and is now being slowly strangled by the glorified parish councils that surround it. Can anyone tell me why one side of a road in Soundwell should be in Bristol and the other side in South Glosc.? It makes no sense.”
by patcrose
Friday, January 11 2013, 2:59PM
“What the EP hasn't reported is the reaction of the other three authorities to the Mayor's takeover plans. Any prizes for guessing the answer? Its probably along the lines of buying a packet of Paxo and self service.”
by rocketbob
Friday, January 11 2013, 1:10PM
“absolutely agree byfrom mendip and tiny-steve. With all the housing developments planned around Bristol but just outside, disagreements are sure to happen,”
by FromMendip
Friday, January 11 2013, 11:54AM
“Of course the conurbation should be under one authority. Bristol hasn't expanded its boundaries since the early 1960s yet the urban sprawl has grown and grown outwards into neighbouring authorities in the past fifty years.
Prior to the 1960s Bristol regularly expanded it boundaries to asorb the growing urban area. For example, Bishopsworth, Stockwood and parts of Brislington only came into the city post WW2.
Look down from the air and you see one very large physical city but one under the control of two main authorities (Bristol and South Gloucestershire) that cover most of the conurbation with B&NES and North Somerset also having urban or semi-urban bits physically joined to Bristol.
With the four authorities rarely agreeing on anything of mutual importance the whole set-up is a built-in disaster.
Let Bristol expand to take in the entire contiguous urban area and return the rest of the former Avon area to historic Gloucestershire and Somerset.
You'd then have only three local authorities for the same area that is currently covered by six. Think of the savings in public money that would bring.
For example, Avon had one director of social services and one of education with staff. Now the same area has four. It's a scandalous waste of money and inefficient in the way it serves the people.”
by charliecycle
Friday, January 11 2013, 11:34AM
“The council voted in favour of an ITA some years ago.”
by matic_113
Friday, January 11 2013, 11:08AM
“This is a must if we are going to see a joined up approach to our transport. If we had this 10 years ago we would have a Tram instead south glos and Bristol bickered the money away. Transport is very often cross boundary so the strategy should be too”
by rocketbob
Friday, January 11 2013, 10:34AM
“build on the outskirts of Bristol .....keep the community charge,.....and make sure all the services are in Bristol! Perhaps the Country Yokels are not so simple after all!”
by garton
Friday, January 11 2013, 10:25AM
“These mayor stories are coming a bit too thick and fast, I'm getting bored with them now. Let's have sometning about the benefits not going up inline with inflation please.”
by Samtron2000
Friday, January 11 2013, 10:11AM
“"Although Mr Ferguson did not go as far saying that the next Mayoral election in four year's time should cover the whole of the area, he still believes there is more scope for the four unitary authorities working closer together"
When the Govt gave the go ahead for referendums on city mayors, the specifically excluded the option of Metropolitan Mayors! It's not for Mr Red Pants to decide!”