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I think it's a timely and sensible idea. I would support it not just because it would save money, but also because it would help to re-invigorate local democracy. I would go further by preventing any councillor from serving more than three continous terms in office. Some have served longer than Mubarak or Colonel Gaddafi (or does it just seem that way?) and owe their longevity to apathy rather than their talent.

Local councils are so 20th century and need a good kick up the sit-upon to make them fit for 21st century challenges. Streamlining and reducing the number would be a good start.

In my area Solihull population 210000, there are 2 MPs and 17 wards with 3 councillors each. Why 17 wards why 3 each. There is a proposal to cut the number of MPs to 600 so cutting the number of councillors is reasonable.
What is the purpose of local government, to provide local services and education is the biggest portion of this. Why not have a full time director of education democratically elected answerable to the parents.
The same for leisure and parks, why not give the chief librarian total responsibilty democratically elected. It could apply to all services except possibly town planning which for transparency would require some councillors perhaps 5 maximum.

I really consider that the wrong question is being asked. The question should be, 'Are there too many councils?'
Within Northamptonshire there are six district councils and a county council. I really only see a need for two unitary councils splitting the county into two. If this course of action was taken nationally then we could see real savings, a lack of confusion as to who has responsibility and a stop to these informal agreements that are currently being forged between councils. These are a recipe for future disaster - OK when councils have the same political persuasion, what happens when the electorate brings in change?
Council amalgamation equals councilor numbers being reduced.
I cannot agree with terrysolihull's wish for elected officers, we put the councilors there to lead, if they appoint the wrong people vote them out. Personally I am dreading the proposed elected Police Chiefs.

The former Welsh Local Communities Minister started a review of councillor numbers in Wales and told the Boundary Commissioners to ensure that the review was finished by this May (to be in place for the 2012 local elections). The review was scrapped in January of this year with only 3 councils confirmed with reviews, 7 in the secondary review stage and the remaining 12 yet to start. Wales has a third of the population of the North West.

As a bottom rung councillor, I see 'the members' at all levels as a cosy little club determined to keep control. There is no incentive for councillors to encourage others to come forward to stand, except where a vacancy occurs, and consequently the standard of the council is diminished.

Too many councillors, too many tiers, too distant from the community, and too many job for life councillors.

Being a councillor is regarded as at best eccentric, all too often as corrupt. Incorrectly I think. Local government will never improve without engagement with the public. A maximum of three terms would force the issue of widening the councillor intake, and weaken the party system. That alone would be worth achieving.