Unitary authority debate

Unitary Councils - response from Councillor Chris Saint, Leader Stratford-on-Avon District Council

Warwickshire County Council is holding a public interest debate on the possibility of there being a Unitary Council dealing with all the functions of Local Government in Warwickshire, instead of these responsibilities being shared between the upper tier County Council and the 2^nd tier comprising three northern Boroughs and two southern District Councils.

I expect this debate to be exactly what it says on the tin and not lead directly to any immediate decision to reform local Government.  It will air views.

My discussions have established that there are wide ranging views on how public services should be organised, many recognising the economies of joint working, but others who like the local independence of the system that has served us for the last 40 years.

The countywide population of 540,000 would require serious consideration being given to reform and we have plenty of examples of what has happened elsewhere.

Outside the cities and metropolitan areas, there are two types of structure:

• 27 County Councils working in a two tier structure with 201 2^nd tier Councils.  These vary in size.
• 55 Unitary authorities have been established in areas that had also been governed by a two tier structure back in 1974.  In these areas, the change has already taken place.

These two blocks each govern many millions of residents and will provide plenty of benchmarking for informed decision making.

My mind is open to persuasion, but the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is quite clear that change can only happen if there is the will to make it happen.