Council leader calls to scrap ‘wasteful and unlikely’ Local Government Reorganisation
The proposed forced reorganisation of local councils in Staffordshire should be cancelled immediately.
Jonathan Gullis, newly-elected Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, says that current and foreseeable instability in national Government means it lacks the ability to effectively deliver a huge reorganisation of local government.
In a letter to The Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Coun Gullis says there is no point spending taxpayers’ money on something that will likely not happen as planned. He writes:
Local Government Reorganisation requires political stability, ministerial grip, clear direction and sustained commitment over a number of years. At present, none of those things exists.”
And adds:
Local Government Reorganisation affecting Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire should be cancelled with immediate effect.
This would allow Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council to plan properly for our longer-term future. We could focus resources where they are needed, and act in the interests of residents rather than wasting public money preparing for a policy that is increasingly unlikely to be delivered.”
A Government announcement is promised later this year on Local Government Reorganisation, with the Government due to announce how Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and seven other district and borough councils will be reshaped into a smaller number of unitary, or single-tier, authorities.
Despite its opposition to forced reorganisation, the Borough Council does support the creation of a Strategic Authority, overseen by an elected Mayor.
Such an authority covering the whole of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent would have powers devolved from London and would look at issues including transport, investment and infrastructure for the whole region.
Coun Gullis said:
We believe the right way forward is to move without delay to a Mayoral Strategic Authority for our area, enabling stronger collaboration while preserving meaningful local accountability.
Our region has established Mayors to the north in Greater Manchester, to the east in the East Midlands and the south in the West Midlands, with a Mayor of Cheshire and Warrington coming soon. It is vital that a Mayor of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent has both an immediate place at the table and that all Mayors have an absolute parity of esteem, as all will be passionate advocates for their places.
We should be at no disadvantage in being a new entrant to the Mayoral system.”