We are losing our local views, it seems, on planning, health and care and fire service. These are due to be controlled direct by government. The fire service is being lost locally to the Police and Crime Commissioner.
I feel localism is eroding away, this won’t really be spoken about until after local elections, not to jeopardise some from being elected.
Local elections shouldn’t be about politics and big parties, this [is] about real people and lives. To bypass the community and its views, I take real exception … alarm bells are ringing.’
Councillor Karen Lucioni.
