THE FUTURE of local councils in Wales, as spelt out in the latest Government White Paper, was slammed at a Barry Town Council meeting this week being called absolute garbage and a joke by members.

At the meeting of Barry Town Council on Monday (February, 23) the controversial "Reforming Local Government" White Paper was described as "absolute garbage" by Plaid councillor Nic Hodges (Baruc) who went on to accuse report author and reform spearhead Minister Leighton Andrews of being on a "megalomaniac kind of rush".

Town council leader and Labour councillor Stuart Egan (Buttrills) was also heavily critical of the paper's proposals.

The "Reforming Local Government" White Paper is Assembly Minister Leighton Andrews' vision of how local councils and community councils will operate in Wales under his planned reform.

Some of the controversial suggestions in it include limiting the number of terms that councillors can serve, allowing paid council staff to stand for election - and only needing to resign when elected - and stopping councillors from being able to serve as town councillors at the same time as serving on the area's main council.

It also suggests that "smaller" town councils should join together, reducing the overall number.

It is proposed that these mergers would be governed by the local authority themselves - local authorities that are yet to be merged themselves in moves determined by Mr Andrews, who recently rejected the Vale's bid to voluntarily combine with Bridgend rather than his preferred option of Cardiff.

The White Paper proposals are currently in the consultation stage and Barry Town Council were discussing plans to respond to the Welsh Government before the April deadline.

Barry Town Council Plaid Cymru group leader Shirley Hodges (Baruc) told the meeting that serious consideration needed to be put into any response due to the "extremely controversial" contents of the paper and due to the "massive impact" it would have on them as councillors.

Fellow Plaid member Nic Hodges said: "I sometimes think [Leighton Andrews] is on some megalomaniac kind of rush.

"I wonder if some of his fellow Labour members here could have a word with him and let him know in no-uncertain-terms what absolute garbage this is."

Labour member and Town council Leader Stuart Egan was also critical of the paper, particularly the concept of councillors only being able to serve a limited amount of terms.

"There are a lot of derogatory remarks that I am not happy about," he said.

"Looking around this room, knowing how long some people have been councillors, I don't see anybody that is 'past it' or not able to make decisions.

"It's all a joke to be honest with you. We don't even know which unitary authority will be making these decisions and I dread to think of our future if we are lumped in with Cardiff."

The full consultation document can be viewed at wales.gov.uk/consultations/localgovernment/power-to-local-people

Consultation ends on April 28.