Scottish Government consults on local government shake-up that would see 32 councils replaced by 6-10 regional authorities

There would then be “a substantial number (120-160)” of community authorities focused on local decision-making. This would deliver “an improved interface for greater community participation”, according to the paper.

The regional authorities would have an enhanced role in regional economic development and business support. “This would include housing, with some functions and responsibility shared with More Homes Scotland; strategic planning, alongside a national planning hub; employability support, aligned to economic development and skills with the potential for greater national commissioning and/or coordination; and relevant areas of transport, including Regional Transport Partnerships and potentially some functions currently with Transport Scotland.”

The paper proposes that councillors would continue to be elected at the current ward level, sitting on both the community authority and on the associated regional authority.

“This would improve local decision-making and enable greater strategic working, without the necessity of a further layer of elections or creating additional tiers of bureaucracy.”

The proposals would also seek to ensure that regional administrative corporate structures support both regional and community authorities, the paper says.

These arrangements would sit alongside bespoke solutions for island communities.

The Scottish Government said: “The point has been made that the current structure of local government sees some authorities that are either too big to be local or too small to be strategic. That is why the Government believes there is a need for regional authorities, alongside more decentralised community authorities"

Later the paper says: “The Government’s starting point is ensuring that we have the organisational capacity and capability we need at the right levels – strategic and also local – to unleash economic opportunities and achieve the ambitions of communities in all areas of Scotland. This will also mean identifying where resources can be pooled to greatest effect and most efficiently, ensuring that key services and outcomes are delivered consistently well.”

Scotland’s local government was reorganised in 1975 to 53 districts, nine regions and three unitary island councils. That system was abolished in 1996 when the present 32 unitary councils were created.

The paper notes that the current model has not been reviewed since devolution and the restoration of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “Reforming Scotland’s public sector is about delivering the best public services for people across Scotland.

“We need to ensure investment is focused on frontline delivery, with the right staff in the right roles to empower communities and deliver real improvements in public services.”

Gilruth added: “Some decision making is best delivered at national level and regional level while others better sit closer to communities and we must get that balance right. Existing local government responsibilities could also be extended, including enhanced roles in economic development and business support so that individual areas can reflect local strengths and ambitions.

“These proposals are intended to provide a starting point to facilitate debate and discussion as we work to deliver reforms that strengthen public services and improve outcomes for the people and communities we serve.”

The proposals have been shared with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and committees at Holyrood.

COSLA President, Cllr Shona Morrison said: “This statement gives some clarity to the Scottish Government’s intentions around the future of local government and public service reform. COSLA has been clear that public service reform will only succeed if it is rooted in communities and that any changes to our governance landscape must enhance local democracy and bring decisions closer to communities.

“Councils will engage with Ministers to shape the future of local democracy. We will not support reforms that dilute local democracy or remove accountability from the people we serve.

“COSLA’s membership will consider these proposals from Scottish Government and continue constructive dialogue on what may be a fundamental restructuring of governance in Scotland.”