COUNCILLORS from Hull and the East Riding have traded blows for weeks in a war of words over proposals to extend the city boundary.
But Tom Martin, head of an independent commission looking at how the two authorities work together, does not want to be drawn into a political row. Instead, he insists the boundary between the two areas is just a small part of the commission's work.
Thousands of East Riding residents are being asked to vote on whether they would support being part of an expanded Hull. The ballot was announced after Hull City Council set up the inquiry headed by Mr Martin.
"It is wrong to say we are a boundary commission," he said.
"I happen to think the East Riding are chasing the wrong thing.
"The ballot appears to concentrate on the boundary, but that is just one issue to consider."
Instead, he said, the commission's work goes far wider than that, with the economic future of the whole area to consider.
Making his first public comments since taking on the role of chairing the ten-strong inquiry team, he said: "This is a commission of inquiry to examine and advise on the ways in which local government in the East Riding and Hull may meet key agreed goals in being effective, efficient and accountable in the delivery of public services.
"We are an independent standalone commission of inquiry and I cannot stress that strongly enough."
East Riding council leader Steven Parnaby last week questioned the independence of the inquiry, describing at as "Hull-centric".
But Mr Martin disputes that claim, saying it will be completely independent.
"This is a commission that has been established by Hull City Council, but the commissioners themselves are totally independent," he said.
"Personally, I have never met a single city councillor to discuss this issue and, in fact, I don't know any city councillors.
"I have not had a discussion on this with any of them."
The life president of Hull safety wear company Arco is leading academics and representatives from the city's public, private and voluntary sectors.
In turn, they are being supported by a small team from Birmingham University's Institute of Local Government Studies.
While the ballot result is expected later this month, Mr Martin said the inquiry's work had only just started.
"We have only met three times," he said.
"We expect to be in a position to publish an interim report in the spring because this is too important to hurry.
"We do not wish to proceed with indecent haste. We want to look in some depth at how we create more wealth and more jobs in the East Riding and the city of Hull through economic growth in the long-term."
Setting aside some prepared notes, he produces three chunky reports, dropping each one on the table with a slight thump.
Although the most recent of those – the East Riding Local Plan Hull and East Riding joint background paper, published this year – saw the two authorities agreeing to work together, Mr Martin said the commission will examine whether it is actually happening.
He said: "The evidence we are looking to find in the inquiry is whether these joint agreements and objectives are being met, because there is a strong feeling that they might be full of fine words and promises but not all of them are being fulfilled."
Mr Martin said it was the right time to rethink the mechanics of local government in the area, which he says is in danger of being left behind.
"If you consider the economic success of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds in recent years, they have all involved a major city council co-operating with adjacent local authorities.
"It seems that must be the way forward for the East Riding and Hull.
"It is also clear that this Government and the main opposition party intends to have major cities being the economic drivers of the future who receive support from national government to make that growth happen.
"If the commission can establish that this could be achieved here with greater co-operation between the East Riding and Hull, then I would hope that could be the way forward.
"Right now, we have to establish the full facts and ensure there is proper trust between the two authorities to achieve that goal."
Catherine Staite, a director with the Institute of Local Government Studies, is acting as the main adviser to the inquiry.
She said: "We recognise the boundary issue here is a sensitive one but other areas that have worked together as combined authorities have done so without changing their boundaries."
She said the inquiry would inviting people them to submit their own views on the wider issue of local government reform in the area.
Public sessions are also likely to be held before the interim report is published.
