AFTER more than 20 years in Vale Royal's corridors of power, Arthur Neil is allowing himself a slight smile, as he stands down from the borough's top job.

It was 1979 when Mr Neil - then a history teacher at Verdin Comprehensive School - became a Vale Royal Borough Councillor.

Since then, and since becoming council leader, his life and Vale Royal's development have been closely linked.

But last week, he officially bowed out of the leader's role, handing over to his deputy, Bob Mather.

"I have been trying to step down quietly, but it seems some people seem keen to mark the fact that I'm doing it," he said, with his customary dry wit.

"I'm being asked what I think has been good about it, and what I've enjoyed, and it's hard to sum it up."

But, when pressed, 49-year-old Clr Neil says that he looks back most fondly on the fact that he's had a chance to help people.

"It's nice to think that I've been able to play out a part in developing the local community," he added.

"I've just been trying to meet the needs and aspirations of local people."

That Clr Neil should be able to rattle off 'councilspeak' - and political jargon - when talking about his own feelings is perhaps unsurprising.

His whole life revolves around community activity, be it on the council, in his job as chief of Northwich's Council for Voluntary Services, or as the leader of the Vale Royal Borough Council Labour group.

Born and raised in Eccles, Lancs, he became a member of the Labour Party in his teens.

He studied history at Lancaster University, making local authorities the topic of his final dissertation.

He came to Vale Royal intending to make a career of teaching, but his early interest in politics won through, and he decided to stand for the council, taking up his CVS job later on.

He won his Castle seat in 1979, and has held it since.

He has led the Labour group since 1983, and has led the whole council in two administrations - 1988-89 and 1991 onwards.

His really has been the 'hot seat' at Vale Royal. The leader is the driving force behind council policy, able to control his party's majority, and responsible for liaising with the opposition.

So why stand down now?

"Basically, I've been juggling the council and a full-time job, and both have been getting more and more demanding in terms of time," he explained.

"I actually intended to go at the last election, in 1998, and I told some people on the council that, but then Bill Woods, who was chief executive at the time, announced that was going, and so they wanted to keep the stability for a little while," he explained.

"People said it'd be good if I could continue to be useful for a bit longer, so they got another year out of me."

Among the highs of his time as leader, Clr Neil notes the announcement of Government cash to fill in the derelict Northwich salt mines, and the tactics the council took to bring Winsford's Over and St John's estates into a good state of management, through the Estates Action Fund.

"With the salt mines, we really were at the forefront of a national trend, because we were lobbying and lobbying the Government to get the money that was needed," he added.

"The Land Stabilisation Fund came about because of actions like ours. They had systems to sort out old coal mines and industries like that, but us with salt, and Bath with chalk, were left out on a limb and we fought to get noticed."

He's also very proud of the council's contacts with community groups, particularly Local Agenda 21.

Many other councils, he says, are lagging behind in terms of the partnerships they forge with interest groups, whereas support from Vale Royal has been consistent, and productive.

Likewise, he adds, Vale Royal has led the way with the new look of local authorities; its transition into a 'cabinet-led' body has been easy and quick, compared to others' attempts.

But even though he's leaving the hot seat, he's staying in the council, and hopes to maintain a role on its executive group.

He also says he'll fight for Castle in the 2003 elections.

"I'm pleased with what I've been able to do in my time, so I'd like to continue for as long as possible," he adds.

He then adds a barbed parting shot to his critics.

"I like getting involved and doing something, rather than sitting back and just moaning about things."

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