Boundary commission consults on making council mergers easier

The process of implementing whole council mergers could be simplified under proposals contained in a consultation by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE).

The LGBCE has issued two consultation papers:

• On the right lines? A consultation on policy and procedures for Principal Area Boundary Reviews (PABRs): this looks at new procedures for boundary changes, ranging from the correction of minor anomalies through to full mergers. The procedures will be “proportionate to the scale of boundary changes proposed”, the Commission said
• Striking the right balance – a consultation on policy and procedures for electoral reviews: this includes a proposal to introduce a fast track approach to some reviews “as well as telling councils what they can expect from the Commission if they wish to change the number of councillors".

The LGBCE said it expected proposals to be locally driven and based on sound business cases.

The consultation papers come after a number of local authorities have announced that they are looking at significantly reducing their number of councillors. Telford & Wrekin Council recently said it was looking at the feasibility of a 25% cut in its number of councillors, from 54 to 40.

The results of the consultation will be used to design new technical guidance, which will determine the Commission’s procedures for all reviews from April 2011.

Max Caller, chair of the LGBCE, said, “The Commission has unique powers to help councils deliver effective local government. The consultation papers we are publishing today set out our thoughts on how we could use those powers to help councils face the challenges ahead.

“There are two main themes running through the consultations. First, we are aiming to ensure that the procedures we use for our reviews are fair, effective and proportionate to the scale of the issues raised by councils. That’s why, for both electoral reviews and PABRs, we are proposing fast track reviews in some circumstances that will mean they could be completed within six months.

“Second, we are spelling out how we can help councils redraw their external boundaries not just to reflect the changing pattern of communities but in ways that can lead to greater service efficiency for residents.”

Caller added that, from his conversations with councils across England, it was clear that there is an appetite to look at radical solutions to the challenge of delivering excellent services at a time of dwindling resources and rising public expectations.

“Delivering electoral equality for voters will always be our priority,” he said. “In achieving fairness for local elections, however, we can help councils reach their strategic aims too. The LGCBE is not just a regulator.”

The consultation papers can be found here. The consultation ends on 31 December 2010.