Lib Dems welcome plan to review local government reorganisation

Plans for a major shake-up of local government in Gloucestershire are on hold after the Government launched a review in light of new legal advice.

Proposals to scrap Gloucester City Council and the five other district councils and replace them with a single unitary council for the county will be reviewed and paused.

In July the Government – shortly before Andy Burnham became Prime Minister – announced plans to scrap the two-tier system of local government in Gloucestershire.

Elections for the new unitary council were due to take place in May next year.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton, leader of Gloucester City Council, said: “I welcome the Government’s decision to pause and review the Local Government Reorganisation.

“This is a significant development and an opportunity to take a proper look at proposals which have always raised serious questions.

“I remain deeply disappointed that the Labour Government chose to create a massive single unitary council for Gloucestershire.

“At around 670,000 residents, it would be one of the largest unitary authorities in England.

“My concern has always been that an authority of this scale risks becoming too big, too distant and too remote from the communities it is supposed to serve.

“For Gloucester, the consequences of abolishing the city council are particularly profound.

“For the first time in centuries, Gloucester would lose its own council, which has played a central role in the city’s identity, civic life and democratic voice since the Middle Ages.

“That is deeply sad news for our city. There is a real risk that Gloucester’s influence over the decisions that affect its residents will be weakened when it becomes just one part of a huge county-wide authority.

“The process has also come at a considerable cost.

“Huge amounts of public money and officer time have been devoted to the reorganisation when that capacity could have been used to invest in local services and address the issues residents actually care about.

“I have long believed that the prospectus was flawed from the outset.

“The Government’s decision to pause the process gives ministers an opportunity to reconsider whether the current proposals really provide the best possible system of local government for Gloucestershire.

“Any future arrangements must be based on robust evidence, proper scrutiny and the needs of local communities, and not simply on the desire to create ever-larger councils.

“I have always advocated the Greater Gloucester proposal because I believe it offers a better way of combining effective local government with strong local accountability. That case deserves to be properly considered.

“We should not prejudge the outcome of this review, but we will engage constructively with the Government and make the strongest possible case for Gloucester.

“Whatever happens next, the Liberal Democrats in Gloucester will continue to fight for our city.

“Gloucester deserves a strong voice, proper local accountability and a local government structure that recognises its unique identity. Our city deserves the best.”