District councils face axe in major local government overhaul

On Monday (December 16), Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner detailed plans to introduce a directly elected mayor for every region and merge district councils into wider authorities as part of a devolution white paper.

The move has been described as one of the biggest shake-ups to local government in over 50 years, with minister Jim McMahon claiming it could save the country £2 billion.

The news comes after central government formally signed off on the devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire in September, which is expected to bring £24 million per year to the region. As part of the agreement, a combined county authority is being established, which would include a new mayor at the helm.

Locally, some leaders have welcomed the potential for greater power to be handed to local decision-makers, while others have criticised the government, arguing this proposal was not included in Labour’s manifesto ahead of the July election.

Here is what local leaders had to say:

Lincolnshire County Council

Lincolnshire County Council leader, Coun Martin Hill, said: “Following these announcements, our devolution deal puts us in a good position to get even more local powers and investment for growth and improved services in Greater Lincolnshire.

“In terms of re-organisation, we are broadly supportive as it makes a lot of sense, will save a lot of money and be more efficient for people in Lincolnshire.

“Most of England now has unitary government that is working well.

“Having so many tiers of government creates unnecessary bureaucracy and cost. For example, it really makes no sense that one council collects all the bins and then pass the rubbish on to another council to dispose of it.

“These proposals will make change and reform quicker and easier.”

Boston Borough Council

Coun Anne Dorrian (Independent), leader of Boston Borough Council, stated: “The government has announced it wants to reform local government for areas like Lincolnshire, which has upper and lower tier authorities (county and district/borough councils), so that communities are served by only one council.

“I am alarmed at the speed at which this taking place, and I am also concerned that there has been absolutely no consultation with residents to find out if this is what they want. I also note that this initiative didn’t form any part of the government’s manifesto so I would like to question why they think they have a mandate for such radical change?

“Typically, this type of re-organisation involves massive redundancy costs for the hundreds of local government officers who will lose their jobs but there has been no indication of who will foot that bill. At this stage there are more questions than answers and I am disappointed that I am unable to offer residents or staff the reassurance that they deserve as we go into the Christmas period.

“Boston Borough Council has always been focused on providing top-quality services for residents and supporting events and growth which build the local economy of the borough and this will continue as long as we are in existence.”

City of Lincoln Council

“We support devolution in principle and would welcome more power and funding to be transferred from central government to Greater Lincolnshire,” said Coun Naomi Tweddle (Labour), leader of City of Lincoln Council.

“However, it is important that any reorganisation taking place in the county is done in a way that enhances local services and local democracy and should be designed in close collaboration with all of Lincolnshire’s authorities.

“Creating a large, unitary council would mean a vast, remote authority with a weak link to local areas and little capability to deliver the place-based services that are essential for creating jobs, growth, better health and more prosperous communities.

“There is no strong evidence that much larger councils will be more efficient or effective. But there is clear evidence that they tend to have a negative impact on trust in councillors, public engagement and voter turnout.

“We are disappointed that prior to this announcement there was very little engagement from government on what could amount to the biggest changes to local government in 50 years.

“The white paper suggests we will be able to make the case for a smaller unitary council if we feel that is right for the city. We welcome government’s statement that it will not directly impose unitary councils or insist on them as a prerequisite for having a combined authority.”

East Lindsey District Council/South Holland District Council

In a joint statement, Coun Craig Leyland, leader of East Lindsey District Council, and Coun Nick Worth (both Conservative), leader of South Holland District Council, wrote: “District councils do a fantastic job in providing and maintaining high-quality services for local residents and driving growth in communities to support the local economy.

“Local government reform has been a possibility for a number of years for two-tier areas like Lincolnshire and it seems this Government are now keen to now make it happen.

“Any reform arrangement must have its residents’ best interest at the core of decision making. Any new structure should benefit the local economy, support local democracy, employment and skills. It is important that any new unitary authority is the right size to best serve residents and democracy locally.

“District councils can successfully work as a partnership, as we have proven with the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership where we have for three years been working more efficiently and delivering more for our communities collectively.”

North Kesteven District Council

“Local government works best when it is close to communities, when it champions the local and gives a democratic voice to the places it represents,” said Coun Richard Wright (Conservative), leader of North Kesteven District Council.

“As the government moves forward its proposal for reorganising local government through the English devolution white paper, it is important to engage in those discussions and explorations and to emphasise the value in local connectivity evidenced at district council level. Any reorganisation also needs to take a whole-systems approach, exploring the links and opportunities for the integration of health, care and police services within new models of governance.

“At North Kesteven District Council we will watch these developments closely and contribute positively, always championing the local in local government. The whole point of local government is that it is governed locally. It’s about making a difference locally that positively impacts on local place, local lives, local opportunities and outcomes and all of that should be delivered as close to the action as possible.”

He added: “As you would expect, we passionately believe in the power of district councils to deliver positive outcomes for the places they serve. I also believe North Kesteven is a brilliant example of the power of the local to change lives, shape communities for the better and champion local democratic engagement.”

South Kesteven District Council

Coun Ashley Baxter (Independent), leader of South Kesteven District Council, argued: “It’s not going to fix the fundamental problem, which is underfunding.

“Despite the change in government, the attitude of Whitehall continues to be bigger equals better, and I don’t agree with that analysis. Often small is beautiful.

“The term ‘devolution’ is a complete misnomer because the proposals are actually taking power further away from electors and residents. Making authorities bigger means making them more remote.

“I’m not in principle opposed to single-tier authorities as long as they are well thought out,” he added, but later argued that the plans seemed more focused on creating convenience for civil servants.

Coun Baxter previously predicted that local government reorganisation would be “inevitable” following the approval of the devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire. He also suggested that more councils could join together in a similar way to the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, which operates under one chief executive.

“I will be speaking to other leaders in other authorities to compare notes,” he continued, also arguing that a single-tier authority for Lincolnshire simply “won’t work” due to the size of the region.

West Lindsey District Council

Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Coun Trevor Young (Liberal Democrat), leader of West Lindsey District Council, said the change might mean residents would “be governed by someone 50, 60 or 70 miles away.”

“What if you need to contact them about something? It’s much easier at a local level, and people like having a local council.”

He added: “At this time, very little has been shared with local council leaders, however, it is clear that the government views reorganisation and the creation of larger unitary authorities as central to delivering its vision for devolved decision-making.

“We support plans for regional devolution and the creation of a Greater Lincolnshire Mayoral Combined Authority, but we are concerned at the lack of information and speed at which plans for further reorganisation are being pushed through.

“As council leader, I will always advocate for the strength of our local area. It was the collective efforts of West Lindsey staff, elected members, and local communities who came together to successfully challenge the Home Office and overturn the decision to turn RAF Scampton into an asylum processing centre. Without the district council, this collective mobilisation would not have happened and this is just one of many examples of the advantages of local decision-making done with our local communities. I am concerned that this could be lost if the voices of district councils are not represented in any forthcoming negotiations for local government reorganisation in Lincolnshire.”