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[quote=Graham Jones]Its a bit pedantic to suggest LCC take 78% and not 85%. The other authorities are not local either and the point has no bearing on the fact that the vast bulk of money is spent way up the ladder in Preston. What a unitary authority will do is bring that 78% spending a lot closer to Hyndburn at the price of 15% of our Council tax moving upward/away.
Just making a point Graham, on the money being spent way up the ladder at Preston, look at the spend on education establishments in and around the area, Moorhead, Rhyddings, Spring Hill to name but a few.

So I don't accept the false argument that we are totally giving power/authority away from Hyndburn. Particularly when you consider as one point made was salaries at LCC. How many Hyndburn residents work there but live and shop here? An East Lancs authority where Blackburn and Burnley are rivals, Pendle/Ribble Valley and Rossendale are not on the main trunk route M65 puts Hyndburn in a great position. This represents not only an issue of better local democracy but good economic/employment benefits in which Hyndburn should seize on its central position. Maybe the Globe Centre + Scaitcliffe House???
I think the salaries quoted were for an accountant working for HBC not LCC.
So you are saying HBC as the centre of a "new authority" East Lancs

Right now LCC is about to consolidate its Highways Department ending its costly contracts to local authorities. Willows Lane staff are about to be transfered to LCC, Willows Lane/HBC Highways Dept shut down and all operations moved to Whalley. I don't think that would have happened so easily with an East Lancs Authority.
They must have been loosing money on the contracts
But what about HBC with the "housing stock transfer" is that not the same thing, put in a different way