ONCE again our district council acts as though it has little concern about the cost to us of its activities, or the ease with which we can communicate to them on our problems, or our view of the quality of their decisions.

The latest episode concerns their response to the Local Government Commission for England's proposals for the future size and shape of the district council.

Would you believe that Wycombe District Council intend to ignore representations put to them and continue with 60 councillors whilst merging several wards together like Little Marlow and Flackwell Heath.

They don't come with much less in common than those two.

They are also providing less single member wards representing individual communities.

Hence more confused accountability and greater difficulty for you and I to pin the responsibility of a problem onto our councillor.

Sixty councillors, who, by their own comments have, with the new style 'cabinet' structure, not enough work to do and when already they each have less than one-third of the electorate to look after, than does a county councillor.

What an opportunity missed to improve the effectiveness and cost of their operation!

Others have taken the time and trouble to work out a structure where every councillor has his own unique patch, which keeps rural with rural, urban with urban and communities together.

In addition, it seeks greater efficiency by suggesting a modest reduction from 60 to 43 councillors (note that only 18 county councillors provide service to us within the Wycombe District Area and they control nearly six times the council tax as well). All to be ignored by WDC. Seems that what you and I have to pay to fund this under worked body of district councillors is of little consequence.

Perhaps for the same sloppy thinking which doubled their car parking charges to us earlier this year.

If it doesn't make sense to you either, then drop a brief word, this weekend (time is short), to the Local Commission above, at Dolphyn Court, 10/11 Great Turnstile, London WC1V 7JU, Attention of the Wycombe Review Manager.

You could suggest perhaps, that you value your own unique councillor, rather than a share of several more remote ones. Also, that it is about time the district council took the principles of 'Best Value' seriously and ensured that councillor coverage was just sufficient to provide effective and convenient local government, noting that the county council, who control much more expenditure, manage with only 18 councillors for the same area.

David Coe

(Former district

and county

councillor)

Frieth Road

Marlow