THE leader of Monmouthshire council has reacted angrily to comments made by minister Leighton Andrews in the South Wales Argus yesterday.

Public services minister Leighton Andrews told the Argus that a new ‘super Gwent’ council merging Newport, Monmouthshire, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen makes logical sense.

And that some Gwent council did not have a strong record, pointing out education failings in Monmouthshire, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent, and corporate failings in the latter.

But Cllr Peter Fox refuted the claims, saying: “[Mr Andrews] is over-egging the councils’ failings – there’s a huge amount of work gone in to address the shortcomings those authorities he mentioned might have had.

“Merging the authorities won’t make a difference because we’re already working together as five authorities on many things and have been for many years, like education, for example.”

“Monmouthshire has a modest (council headquarters) building compared to say Caerphilly,” he added. “We had to build that because our previous head offices in Croesyceiliog was falling to pieces and the cost of putting it right would have been £30 million. Our council building cost us £8 million so we’ve saved a lot of taxpayers’ money there.

“Our agile working scheme has reduced accommodation space by 50 per cent. The chief executive sits with his staff and everyone takes their stuff home with them at night.

“It’s saved us huge amounts. I would stand face to face with the Minister any day to argue that.”

The Williams report, commissioned by the Welsh Government to look into council mergers, said creating authorities as large as Gwent would make it “difficult to meet multiple diverse local needs effectively or to maintain fair democratic representation” – something which is backed by Mr Fox.

He said: “Is it right that somebody in Blaenau Gwent or Caerphilly makes a decision which affects people in a small village in south Monmouthshire, and vice-versa? Where would the local accountability be? It’s back to the future stuff.

“Big is not always beautiful – it’s a massive distraction from what we have to deal with as local authorities at the moment.”

Mr Andrews referred to a report published 10 days ago suggesting savings of £151 million a year would be possible as a result of the proposed merger but Mr Fox said that figure was “wishful thinking”.

Bob Wellington CBE, the leader of Torfaen council, said: “I am not against change in order to protect vital services and deliver the efficiencies needed in the face of ongoing austerity. Torfaen council has consistently and publicly sought innovative solutions to meet the current challenges in order that residents can continue to receive critical services.

“Estimated cuts of £900m over the next few years will put the sustainability of many local authorities in doubt. I’m certain the Minister’s map will be discussed at length by council leaders over the coming weeks and months.”

Leader of Blaenau Gwent council Hedley McCarthy said he was concerned Blaenau Gwent could be consigned to the “periphery of a new mega-council which will be distant and remote from the people it is supposed to serve”.

A Newport City Council spokeswoman said the authority was not against collaboration with other councils where it would benefit residents, but wanted Newport to “retain its own identity”.

Mr Andrews said if Labour was back in power following next year’s elections, then the merger could take place in 2020.