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Just when we thought that things were beginning to get back towards a more normal life and we were beginning to have face to face meetings, COVID-19 makes an unwelcomed return. This means that there could be another six months of disruption. Coming after the three months lock down, there is a fear that this could be the last straw for many businesses. The measures taken by the Chancellor will, it is well accepted, not prevent a considerable loss of jobs. I think that many people have been lulled into a false sense of security by the furlough and other schemes. This is not going to last.
Locally, July, August and early September have not been as bad as might have been feared. A good indicator of this is car park numbers which have, at times have been very close to last year's levels. However, winter is coming and this, combined with the new COVID measures, is certain to see a reduction in activity.
One of the vexed issues locally has been the Mop Fairs held under a Royal Charter. SDC also has a contract with the fair operator. I was asked very frequently why we had not cancelled the mop. The very simple answer is that we did not have any powers under which we could unilaterally cancel them. Cancelling them had to be done by negotiation and this took time, but after a lot of effort, we got there in the end. There was a small ride in place for a short time to ensure that the Royal Charter was maintained.
This is just another illustration of things that look easy from the outside are far from straightforward when we have to deal with the realities.
I can confirm what I said in last month's column that the third round settlement is not generous. At present we are forecasting that our deficit for the year will be around £4million. This will be covered by reserves; however reserves can only be used once.
Working with Warwick District Council is progressing. Julie Lewis is now a shared role between the two councils. A Head of IT has just been selected and that role is also shared between the two councils. We still need to appoint a joint Section 151 officer, which, in the current climate will be a key role. We should not underestimate the issues in creating a joint District. The two pinch points will be IT and culture. Given the state of SDC finances going forward I referred to above, the cost savings that can be made through merger are even more important.
Perhaps the most demanding issue we have had to manage recently has been the vexed issue of local government reorganisation. We have received the report from Deloitte; ‘Warwickshire: Options for the future of local government structures: phase 1'.
Three options were examined:
The options were assessed against five criteria:
The two unitary model was ranked first on four out of the five criteria. The single unitary was ranked second overall and the status quo third.
As I write this I understand that the White Paper has been deferred and I believe that it may not reappear until later next year. Nevertheless I do not believe that the status quo is sustainable in future and this issue will reappear. The work that has been done definitely will not be wasted.
There have been two planning papers issued for consultation. If adopted as they stand we would have to accommodate more houses in the District. Our response has been very robust and we have questioned many of the proposals.
Finally, as I write this column our COVID-19 cases are rising. By the time you read this action will probably have been taken.
I am sorry if this month's column is a bit longer than usual but, given the significance of the issues I think it best that people have an understanding of the key issues we are dealing with.
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