County Council’s name to live on
Sep 19 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal
THE name is the same but everything else will change, civic bosses pledged yesterday.
The new single unitary authority for County Durham, which will replace the seven districts and Durham County Council next April, will be called – Durham County Council.
Cabinet agreed to recommend that the new unitary authority should retain the name yesterday.
Council Leader Simon Henig said public opinion had been tested on a handful of alternative suggestions over the summer, and the decision reflected the clear preference of more than half of those involved.
He added: “Many of those who voted for no change did so on the grounds of media ‘guesstimate’ stories about the cost of re-branding.
“The reality is that those costs are as yet unknown and are currently being assessed.”
Coun Henig said some costs, however, were inescapable because the services of the seven district councils will need to be re-branded whatever happens.
Independent county councillor John Shuttleworth, a self-employed painter and decorator who worked out that it would cost £4m simply to change the county council’s logo on signs, vans, stationery and other pieces of external equipment, said: “Changing the name would have been no more than mere civic vanity.
“The public want the best possible service provided, they don’t want fancy names and logos.”
Other names suggested for the new authority were County Durham Council, Durham Council, Durham Unitary Council and County Durham Unitary.
Acting chief executive John Richardson told Cabinet that the ‘blueprint’ for the new unitary council would include improved services for the public, a simpler structure of local government, clear accountability, stronger community leadership and cost effective and efficient services influenced by local people.
Coun Henig said the creation of the new council would herald a transformation in local government in the county which would deliver more efficient and responsive services and a better quality of life for local people.
Its success, he added, would be judged against its ability to deliver a series of “tangible benefits for various sectors of the community including less red tape and easier customer access to services across the county.”
