PLANS to shake up local government could herald exciting new possibilities for Droitwich, a town councillor has claimed.
Coun Bob Brookes spoke to the Standard after the annual town meeting at Droitwich Spa Community Hall, during which he revealed the town council was looking at the possibility of taking over two of Droitwich’s parks as part of local government reorganisation.
The reorganisation will see Borough, District and County Council’s scrapped and replaced with a unitary authority, with this change expected to take place in April 2028.
Coun Brookes told the Standard that this is likely to put added responsibility onto the shoulders of Droitwich Spa Town Council, which, he feels, will prove to be a good thing.
He added: “I am a great believer in localism, and having more responsibility placed on people who are right at the heart of Droitwich can only be a good thing.
“There are very hard-working councillors at the district and county council level, but the town council is the only place where you can go to the centre of Droitwich, walk into where we are based and talk to someone in person about an issue you are having.
“I believe that there are some very exciting opportunities that can arise from this reorganisation of local government.
“I think enhancing the role of the town council to make more decisions will only benefit the people living in the town.”
Coun Brookes added that as part of the reshuffle, the town council is looking at the possibility of taking over responsibility for Droitwich Spa Lido Park and Vines Park.
Both of the parks are currently under the control of Wychavon District Council, which will cease to exist in the coming years.
Droitwich Town Council currently directly manages Copcut Park and Spring Meadow.
Coun Brookes added that other opportunities with the reorganisation include making street cleaning more efficient, as town councillors, living within a few miles of the town, will be able to make better informed decisions on which streets need to be prioritised.
Two plans for Local Government Reorganisation in Worcestershire have been submitted to the Government.
The first would see a single unitary council to run all services for the county.
The second involves creating two unitary councils – a North Worcestershire Council and a South Worcestershire Council – to run all services for their part of the county.
A government consultation on proposals closes on March 26.
Visit consult.communities.gov.uk/local-government-reorganisation/worcestershire/ to take part in the consultation.
