West Sussex to quit quango

Council leader Cllr Henry Smith said his decision would mean the authority would end its membership on March 31, 2009, instead of waiting for 2010, when Seera will be wound-up by the government.

Councils have to give Seera 12 months' notice to end their membership.

Cllr Smith said this week that from 2009-10, the 31,612 annual membership subscription to Seera would be spent instead by 'locally elected, fully accountable representatives' on services or to support community initiatives.

"This West Sussex dividend may not seem large in terms of the county council's overall budget, but it will be a much more rewarding way of spending money than continuing with membership of an unelected quango, which the government itself admits has no public support," he added.

"The only reason West Sussex has not withdrawn earlier is that on balance it was important to be at the table defending the interests of our communities particularly on key issues such as housing numbers.

"Now the South East plan has been through its public examination and the Inspector has issued his report, I can see no further reason for continuing to waste time and money on Seera.

"In any case, by 2009, the government will have settled on a new regional structure and shadow arrangements for this will be in place, and the county council will be involved with those.

"It means that from 2009, Seera will, in effect, be a lame duck."

The government originally set up regional assemblies intending that they should become elected regional governments.

These assemblies were dumped after the failed referendum in the north east.

The government has now said that regional assembles have had 'a patchy delivery record and a lack of public support'.

"That, from a government which gave us bodies like Seera, is quite an admission," said Cllr Smith.

"I can only hope that whatever is finally put in place post-Seera will be democratically accountable.

"We have always believed that we can deliver our shared priorities with the government more effectively and efficiently through more direct responsibility, and with less costly regional administration.

"That is something we will continue to press for."