Voters require NW council to axe cabinet model and return to committees

Voters in the Fylde Council area have voted in favour of requiring the local authority to adopt a committee system in May next year.

The referendum was held after more than 5% of voters last October signed a petition calling for change.

Some 11,934 voters (57.8%) backed the scrapping of the Cabinet system and a return to committees. There were 8,706 votes (42.2%) in favour of retaining the authority’s existing system of governance. The turnout was 34.16%.

Tracy Morrison, Fylde’s counting officer and director of resources, said: “Voters have considered the issue very fully in recent months and they have voted to return to the committee system.

“The change will involve the council keeping its existing regulatory committees with the establishment of four new committees around the policy areas of tourism and leisure; operational management; health and housing; and finance.”

She added that each committee would be appointed by the council and would consist of representatives of the elected parties in proportion to their numbers on the council.

“Council officers will now start the ball rolling for the establishment of the committees in May 2015,” Morrison said. “The cabinet system will apply until then as the business of the council will have to continue to be conducted.”