Rugby Lib Dems unable to support Coventry and Warwickshire STP

At a full meeting of Rugby Borough Council on 7 February 2017, Rugby Liberal Democrat Councillors voted to not support or endorse the Coventry and Warwickshire Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) at the present time.

Rugby Liberal Democrats Councillors considered a Cabinet report concerning the progress of the Coventry and Warwickshire STP, but could not support it since there has been no public consultation and there appears to have been no account taken of the impact on the services of other agencies, such as the borough council, or indeed of the part the council has to play in promoting health and wellbeing and preventing the escalation of issues in order to avoid pressure on primary care and other health services.

There was support from all the other political groups for that position and the further points that the Cabinet made. These are for the Borough Council to align itself with concerns from the County Council; that the Borough Council wanted to be part of the future of the STP and that a working party should be set up to oversee what's happening and its impact on Rugby.

Though it has had access to the discussions, the County Council also said in December it would not sign up to the plan until there is consultation with the public, that an independent chair is appointed and that the role of social care is properly recognised.

Commenting, Councillor Jerry Roodhouse said:

"The bit that really worries me is who is chairing the STP process. It's the chief executive of that PFI hospital up the road. Until we have somebody independent I have a sneaking suspicion it will be an NHS driven exercise and that won't do our residents any good in Rugby."