Breakaway council plans hit by setback

The Fairfield Community Action Group (FCAG) wants to form the new council in Fairfield Park, Stotfold.

But at a meeting of Central Bedfordshire Council’s general purposes committee on Thursday last week (December 8) councillors decided to extend the period and favour setting up new wards instead.

Members of FCAG activated the governance review, which finished last month after they handed in a petition containing more than 1,200 signatures from Fairfield residents in favour of the move. FCAG chairman Barrie Dack and other members believe that residents in Fairfield pay a significant amount in council tax for Stotfold-based services and facilities that they never use.

A statement released by FCAG said: “The action group is disappointed that Central Bedfordshire Council deferred a decision regarding the setting up of a Fairfield community council and opted instead for further consultation.

“Much concern was expressed at the meeting regarding the ‘breaking up of a community’ and in their view a system of warding could solve the Fairfield problem. They asked officers to consult with residents of Stotfold Parish and suggested a division of four wards.”

FCAG is convinced that wards will not improve the situation in Fairfield Park.

The statement continued: “The action group is adamant that this is not the solution. Warding does not solve the central position of financial inequity. It also does not give residents of any ward a stronger voice.”

Councillor Maurice Jones, Central Beds Council’s executive member for corporate resources, said: “Following the completion of the first phase of Fairfield Park’s Community Governance Review members have agreed to carry out a further eight week secondary consultation in the new year.

“As part of this consultation the council will be asking residents’ views on keeping the whole parish as it’s currently set out but with the introduction of wards representing Fairfield, as well as other parts of the town.

“This would mean that residents would then have elected representatives specifically for the area of the town in which they reside; a system of governance which is already in place in the majority of towns within Central Bedfordshire.”