The government has opened its consultation on proposals for LGR in Gloucestershire, yesterday, Thursday 5 February. This will be open for seven weeks. As you know, it follows the submission of three proposals to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) last November.

What will the consultation cover?

The consultation will ask for views on all three proposals submitted: * One single county-wide unitary council * Two unitary councils (east/west split) * Two unitary councils (Greater Gloucester and Gloucestershire Unitary)

Respondents will be asked to what extent the proposals: * Are based on sensible geographies and economic areas * Will deliver the outcomes described in the proposals * Are the right size to be efficient, improve capacity, and withstand financial shocks * Will deliver high quality, sustainable public services * Have been informed by local views and will meet local needs * Will support devolution arrangements * Will enable stronger community engagement and give the opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment

Additionally, there will be a question in relation to the Greater Gloucester and Gloucestershire unitaries proposal, asking to what extent consultees agree or disagree that it sets out a strong public services and financial sustainability justification for boundary change.

Consultees will also be able to leave free text to explain or expand on the answers they provide or leave general comments.

How will people be able to take part and get more information?

The consultation will be via an online survey. Additionally, SDC are arranging for hard copies to be made available in all council-owned user centres (i.e libraries, area centres, offices etc).

MHCLG has made provision for consultation responses to be made by post and email. Details are on the consultation page, linked below.

A link to the consultation is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-gloucestershire

Details on all three proposals are available at the Future Gloucestershire  web site.

SDC also have dedicated pages here Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution

Who will be consulted?

In notifying councils that the consultation will start, MHCLG confirmed the list of stakeholders that it will be consulting directly. SDC have added those organisations or contacts that MHCLG will not consult with directly to a local list, to ensure we leave no stone unturned in reaching out to every corner of the community over the coming seven weeks.

Although this is a government consultation, SDC are activating a thorough communications and engagement plan to ensure they reach as many stakeholders and residents as possible, and encourage them to share their views. To achieve this, SDC will be engaging town and parish councils, community organisations and partners across the county, sharing materials that they can use to promote the consultation, while leveraging SDC's online and offline channels.

What happens after the consultation closes?

As a recap, feedback from the consultation will help the government assess which option best meets its criteria for effective local government.

A decision is expected in summer 2026, with elections for the new unitary authority or authorities planned for May 2027.

Any new structure will come into effect no earlier than April 2028.

#lgr

As a follow-up to the Fears Gloucestershire councils shake-up will be ‘just like Brexit’ article here are some personal thoughts. I can't help thinking this post will get me into trouble! Hey ho. Read the Gloucester news centre article first. It'll set the scene. Thanks to Barbara Lawrence for posting it on Facebook and bringing it to my attention.

https://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk/fears-gloucestershire-councils-shake-up-will-be-just-like-brexit

Make no mistake, I think Westminster's devolution and planning reforms will be an absolute disaster for our community. I say 'Westminster' because I'm certain that the Conservatives would offer no alternative and I'm certain that they are rubbing their hands with glee.

This is something that is being done to our community. We have not asked for it. We have not been consulted on it.

I ask myself what problems are Westminster trying to solve? Overcoming inequality? Creating sustainable places? Delivering council homes? Providing sheltered accommodation? Early years family support? Active travel? Home insulation? Offering food vouchers? Lower household bills? Town centre regeneration? Providing public car parking? Providing public toilets? Strengthening community organisations? Delivering Greenways? Delivering cultural strategies? Employing Neighbourhood Wardens?

All these things need a tier of local Government embedded in and connected to the local community. Precisely the tier that Westminster is proposing to rip out and abolish. It will set us back decades, destroying complex interconnected networks of individuals, small groups and hyper local organisations.

Politically, it'll leave Stroud little more than a parish council. Places like Wotton, Dursley and Nailsworth will become even less relevant as power and money leaches further away, into the hands of even fewer locally elected representatives at Gloucester. I've witnessed the culture at GCC and like many other of my SDC colleagues we don't like it. I would say reform desperately needs to happen there first. It's pale, male and stale. They offer little for ward councillors like myself, so I'm guessing it's the end of the line for many us.

Further, there is no evidence that all these changes will even improve efficiency either. In fact articles I've read suggests the opposite.

It's sad to say, but everything points to these devolution changes being made solely to remove local decision making. Change to remove the perceived 'blockers' of Westminster's construction led growth agenda. But, I fear these changes will also serve to fatally undermine local democracy, leaving communities feeling even more remote and powerless, further eroding trust and confidence in politics. Where there is disillusionment populist 'patriotic alternatives' will take root and that really worries me.

Personally, I don't think SDC has done a bad job with its Local Plan. I've spent many years being critical of SDC for the state-aid funding of Merrywalks and the hefty investment in the canal. My view on the canal has mellowed somewhat over the years.

I think devolving much more power to communities like ours is actually what's needed. We are more than capable of understanding and managing the balance of land-use, food, homes, energy, infrastructure, nature and flood management in our locality. We don't need a celebrity mayors to achieve it either.

So, in a nutshell:– “Devolve power to communities not regions”

In the meantime however, I guess SDC will have to negotiate best possible arrangements for our communities, including Wotton. So, Catherine, as leader of the Council, is taking the right position, in order to negotiate. Otherwise the decision will be imposed on us regardless.

I'm sure that there will be lots of discussion about what happens to SDC's assets and things in the community that they fund and support like; car parks, toilets, community groups, neighbourhood wardens, The Keepers etc. etc. Obviously, along with the other ward councillors we'll do our best defend all these things until we hit the buffers at the end of the line.

#lgr

An excellent discussion at Stroud District Council this evening. As a Green there is no party line, so we are free to contribute in the best interests of the residents and business who we represent.

I said what I thought needed to be said. The recommendation passed unanimously and I feel the wide ranging opinion will help shape and deliver the best possible outcome.

I acknowledge that our leaders do a remarkable job of keeping the whole council on track, despite the tough choices and strong opinion that many of us hold.

My Speech at Full Council

After seeing the initial top level work streams I have little doubt that our hard working officers and staff can deliver whatever option is chosen, in the broadest sense and in skeletal form.

But, having analysed the background papers, some which only arrived yesterday, I cannot accept a conclusion of just two or maybe three possible outcomes.

What concerns me most is that our tier of local government represents thousands of delicate fibres of a complex social web. A web that connects town and parish councils, hyper local organisations, charities, small community groups as well as individuals. The anchor points of this web maybe easily identified but the web itself is a delicate and fragile structure that has taken decades to evolve. It is this fragile structure that nurtures and supports us all, as individuals. Consequently, I think there is grave danger ahead for the communities we represent.

We are like sheep we are being herded towards a pre-determined destination by a farmer who claims to be looking after all our needs and welfare.

However, as a Green, I know that there are other destinations which are being shrouded from our collective view.

I say we all need to flock together, make our voices heard, shout out about subsidiarity (that's decision making being made at the most local level), challenge the befuddled assumptions, call out arbitrary claims, seek more detail and demand proper detailed answers to our questions.

But, we are being rushed, we're being given no time to think. We are being told by Westminster that this gift of devolution is good for us and we must accept what's on offer.. We have no choice... We don't hold the cards...

I draw everyone's attention to the EIGHT vitally important principles in 3.3 on page 8 of the pack.

Based on delivering those principles, but not the final destination, and wanting only what is best for the residents and businesses I represent. Therefore to claim our place at the table I feel have no choice but to reluctantly support this recommendation.

But I will not say thank-you to this remote and increasingly authoritarian government.

Principles for Assessing Final Proposals

• Support for the development of inclusive economic prosperity, which meets the needs of all, particularly the most vulnerable members of society.
• An equitable and financially viable council structure which does not exacerbate wealth or service need imbalances.
• Ability to maintain the delivery of key services at a local level to our residents and businesses with a focus on long term effectiveness rather than short term efficiency. Savings to be achieved by economies of scale not service reductions.
• Strengthening of participative democracy including adequate elected representation.
• Alignment with other public service providers and structures which support our parish and town councils and the voluntary and community sector.
• A structure which facilitates continued joint and ambitious working for our local environment, nature recovery and climate action.
• A structure which builds on local identity incorporating best practice from the current councils and ensuring valued local assets are retained for community use.
• A structure which facilitates the delivery of the SDC Council Plan priorities: environment, climate and nature; communities and well-being, local economy, housing and working for our communities.

#SDC #LGR #UKPOL #video

You may have seen recent press coverage about the government’s plan to reorganise local government.

I thought it might help to explain what we know so far, and what it may mean for us in Wotton-under-Edge, North Nibley and Stinchcombe ward. This is only a short summary – do contact me if you’d like to discuss it in more detail.

In the English Devolution White Paper, published just before Christmas, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government set out a plan to dissolve district and county councils into new unitary authorities, and to introduce new, powerful regional strategic authorities (where they don’t already exist), led by a mayor for the region.

Gloucestershire County Council applied to government to cancel the upcoming May elections, in order to “fast track” reorganisation in the county. This request was turned down, which means we’ll have elections on 1st May as planned, and a slightly slower path to reorganisation.

A joint letter from the county’s councils will go to government in time for a 21st March deadline, advising of the proposals being explored in Gloucestershire, both at the county level (probably one, or possibly two, unitary councils) and which wider mayoral authority we should join (West of England Combined Authority, Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Wiltshire & Swindon?).

Final proposals are due in the autumn, though government will make the final decision. Any new unitary authority/ies could replace the County Council as early as May 2027, with Gloucestershire’s six district/borough councils dissolved into it a year later.

The local government reorganisation element of this was unexpected, and has come as a shock to many. While badged as devolution, it will take key aspects of decision-making about our district further away from our communities. Residents of Gloucestershire will also be served by far fewer elected representatives, at a time when the population per councillor in the UK is already amongst the highest across Europe.

The government have ++not++ allowed for public consultation so far, but we are keen to hear your views on what is proposed.

The overall plan has been set, but the detail will be key.

Stroud District Council retains assets and services that many other councils have lost – we’ll be doing our very best to ensure those are preserved for our communities. We’ll need to work closely together, across parish, district and county, to secure the best version of “devolution” here, as the next phase unfolds.

Thanks to Chloe Turner for putting this brief together. :) #lgr