Council leader critical of 'unclear' Government message as Telford and Wrekin's cases rise
Coronavirus levels in Telford and Wrekin have risen again, but the council leader says it is “unclear” whether the government will step in to help.
Council leader Shaun Davies said there were now 50 positive diagnoses per 100,000 people, compared to previous week’s rate of 22 and then 36 cases.
He added the new level “used to be” within the range for a Whitehall “intervention or review”, but said the government’s delay in introducing a new “traffic light” system meant it was unclear whether the previous rule still applied.
He called for local authority leaders to be kept better informed.
Conservative leader Nigel Dugmore, who was elected to head the main opposition group earlier this week, agreed with Councillor Davies that bringing the borough out of the pandemic and helping the local economy were the “immediate priority”.
At a meeting of his Labour cabinet, Councillor Davies said: “Our numbers are 50 per 100,000 of population which, importantly, is the government’s measure for any intervention or review. Or, at least, it used to be.
“We are now uncertain whether that measure is the measure the government is using.”
'It really is not good enough'
A three-tier system, provisionally titled the “Covid-19 Proposed Social Distancing Framework”, is being considered by ministers, but Councillor Davies said “that has now been pushed back until next week, so we are in a situation where we are literally reading developments in the newspaper along with other leaders of local government".
“It really is not good enough for local government to be dealt with like this.
“Until we have direct news from government about what this now means, it is unclear to say.”
He said Telford and Wrekin’s diagnosis rate remained below the English and West Midlands averages, but said that only offered limited comfort as those figures were also rising.
He said 1,000 children in the borough were self-isolating after outbreaks at their schools, and paid tribute to them and their schools and academies for their commitment.
Councillor Dugmore was chosen to lead the 13-member Conservative group at its AGM on Monday. Councillor Davies congratulated him, adding: “I look forward to meeting to see how we can work together.”
Councillor Dugmore paid tribute to his predecessor, Councillor Andrew Eade, who stepped down after 23 years leading the group.
“His are big shoes to fill, and hopefully I can offer a new perspective on what he has achieved,” Councillor Dugmore said.
Opposition leaders are invited to attend cabinet meetings as non-voting observers. Items on the agenda included a report, titled “Protect, care and invest to create a better borough”, which measured the administration's performance against the commitments in Labour’s winning 2019 election manifesto.
Councillor Dugmore said it included some “fantastic achievements”, but added the Covid-19 pandemic meant a lot of plans had been delayed or “amended quite drastically”.
'Challenges ahead'
“We do have many challenges ahead,” he said.
“There is bringing the borough out of the pandemic, which, obviously, is the immediate priority, and, as has been mentioned, assisting the local economy to recover as soon as possible.
“There is also the challenge of the new planning policy and the uncertainty of local government reorganisation which could happen in three years’ time – all this needs a firm and competent leadership and, just as importantly, a strong and effective opposition.”
Telford & Wrekin Council is currently in the process of reviewing its 2011-2031 Local Plan, the document which maps out where new building takes place. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is expected to publish reorganisation plans in the coming months.
“Hopefully, I will lead an opposition that challenges the administration, asking difficult questions and approaching issues from a different viewpoint to achieve a better outcome,” Councillor Dugmore said.
