Yartoft

Peter Aldous writes about his concerns over whether a small unitary authority such as Yartoft could provide better services.

Sir

Terry Kelly extols the virtues of a Yartoft unitary authority and what he describes as the likely economic benefits of such a union. Instead of prejudging the Boundary Committee's review, he should consider all the evidence and then decide if a reorganisation of local government in Suffolk, and if so in what form, will provide better services and value for money for Council Tax payers.

I am prepared to consider all of the evidence, but I do have concerns based on what happens elsewhere in the country as to whether a small unitary authority, which is what Yartoft would be, would provide better services in such areas as education, social care, libraries and trading standards than are available at present. Serving a population of less than one third the size of Suffolk it would lack buying power and would have difficulty in attracting staff of such a high calibre. To achieve such a unitary authority there would be tremendous upheaval at great cost and one has to wonder for what. However unlike Terry Kelly, I will study all of the evidence from the review before deciding what is best for the whole of Waveney.

He also asks why Suffolk County Council have not dealt with the flooding risk at Blythburgh on the A12. Considering that the storm surge took place just over 2 months ago, they have moved with great speed in setting up the Blyth Estuary Strategy Group and getting the Environment Agency to extend the consultation period on the Estuary's future flood defence strategy. The Environment Agency's current proposed stance of "no active intervention", which will place the A12 at an increased risk of flooding is a result of the Labour Government's diversion of funds away from coastal defences. Waveney is being short changed and the Suffolk Coast is left vulnerable and at threat.

Terry Kelly also refers to mine and others' rural thinking. Whether one is a Waveney District Councillor, a Suffolk County Councillor, the MP for Waveney or even [hypothetically at least] a Yartoft Councillor, one will invariably find oneself representing and making decisions that effect people from different diverse places, whether isolated rural areas such as the Saints, villages, market towns such as Beccles and Bungay and Lowestoft, the main centre in the area. For my part I believe that you should represent the interests of everyone.

Peter Aldous, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Waveney, Wissett, Halesworth, Suffolk, IP19 0RA.