Councillor says Rutherglen should be given more powers
Jan 9 2013
by Douglas Dickie, Rutherglen Reformer
A Rutherglen councillor has called on the town to be given more powers to run its own affairs.
Councillor Robert Brown wants a Burgh council system implemented, similar to small European countries such as Denmark.
And the idea has been backed by many Reformer Twitter followers.
Councillor Brown was responding to a debate on our Twitter page after one of our readers said Rutherglen and Cambuslang should leave South Lanarkshire Council and merge with Glasgow again.
While that idea was rejected by Councillor Brown, a Lib Dem member for Rutherglen South, he admitted he felt some services should be managed at a more local level.
He tweeted: “The UK actually has the poorest level of municipal power in Europe. Strong case for building Burgh Power.”
Another Twitter user, KC1965 said: “In most European nations a town like R’glen would have its own town council! And it should!”
Councillor Brown has previously produced a pamphlet on town councils, albeit when Rutherglen was still part of Glasgow, and also advocated the idea in his response to the Campbell Commission.
He told the Reformer this week: “In Scotland you have 32 local authorities whereas in somewhere like Denmark, with a similar population to Scotland, you have a number of regional councils and municipalities
“The fashion seems to be to have less local authorities or to amalgamate services such as the police or fire services.
“The theory is it saves money, but the reality is it ends up costing an arm and a leg.
“No-one wants to see a wholesale reorganisation of local government but I think if an area like Rutherglen and Cambuslang wanted to have a burgh council then they should be allowed to do that.
“South Lanarkshire is a well-run council in most respects but it’s got other interests outwith Rutherglen.
“Some things such as halls and parks should be administered more locally.”
However, council leader Eddie McAvoy said: “The days of town councils are long gone.
“We are struggling to make savings but another tier of local government would cost millions to implement at a time we are trying to protect frontline services. Our halls are managed by the leisure trust and that saves £3.5million a year”
“As for Rutherglen leaving South Lanarkshire, we are making savings of £12.5m while Glasgow is £50m. They are closing residential homes and day centres while we are building more as well as 140 new schools.”
