Councils go head to head over merger plans

A row has broken out between Melksham Town and Melksham Without councils over the future of local government in the town.

Traditionally, Melksham Town Council has covered the town wards and Melksham Without Parish Council has been responsible for  the villages of Shaw and Whitley, Beanacre and Bowerhill, and other areas around Melksham.

In the past, queries have been raised about the economy of having two councils necessitating  separate expenditure, organisation, offices and staff.

However, promoters of two councils say that the needs and concerns of Melksham town and outside areas are better served by their own councils.

A suggestion of amalgamating the two councils has been raised with an idea of providing a base for one council for all, possibly as part of the new campus development at Melksham House.

A review being conducted by Wiltshire Council is also looking at whether Melksham Without and Melksham Town Council should merge to form a single council.

It’s a proposal put forward by Melksham Town Council, but one which has received opposition by Melksham Without Parish Council.

Explaining the idea for one council, Melksham Town councillor Jon Hubbard said, “I support the idea of ‘one council’ and believe it will benefit the whole of Melksham.

“Having one council would bring considerable savings. Melksham Without Parish Council has an office metres away from the Town Hall. Having one office would drastically reduce the amount of money spent on council buildings. We wouldn’t want to see any reduction in staff but by joining together resources, the extra money can be spent on improving facilities in the town. Isn’t that what it’s all about?.”

But cllr Richard Wood, chair of Melksham Without, disagrees, saying “Melksham Without Parish Council opposes this because we represent five distinct village communities and have always tried to maintain their individual characters and respond to their various issues using our extensive local knowledge. We do not consider that these cohesive communities would be best served by being included in a new town centred council.”

The letter from Melksham Without Parish Council explaining its position can be found in full on page 26.

Public meetings on the issue are being held on Wednesday 21st October, 7pm at Melksham Assembly Hall,  and on Wednesday 4th November at Melksham Assembly Hall at 7pm. Alternatively, you can give your views online via the Wiltshire Council’s website by searching for Community Governance Review 2015.