If we are to be islands entirely competent unto ourselves, what the hell are we paying all these taxes for? Some villages have absolutely nothing left, no Church, no doctors, no transport, no library, minimal rubbish collection.
Planning at Council level has a responsibility to keep this in proportion: it's all very well having a self-important exprbitantly highly-paid Chief Executive and no end of Policies, but if nothing is being maintained on the ground, then the social contract by which those bigheads took responsibility for the social charge of the community is no longer being respected and someone will have to tell them where they get off. Unless they are first and foremost delivering, then the same test should apply to them as to any business: they are redundant and should be disposed of.
If we are responsible, then they are not, and should stop claiming the taxes: let us spend as we see fit, then, not as they do. They will certainly claim that it's because they get less support from Central Government, but we don't see our taxes there dropping. When it comes to cutting their coats according to their clothes, let them start by disposing of their own overheads first, because if they don't, all we will have left is the parasites and no delivery at all.
Pubs don't have to be tied to chains, we all know why beer was brewed, because of the crap water, and that was done locally. It's not difficult, and the local only arose because one brewer was better than the others. Some centralisation was useful, and the social function necessary.