English Devolution White Paper: reaction from the sector
Local Government Lawyer rounds up the reaction from the sector to the English Devolution White Paper published today (16 December).
More on the White Paper:
English Devolution White Paper confirms major local government reorganisation plans
Amardeep Gill, Partner and Head of Public Sector at Trowers & Hamlins
"The Devolution White Paper sets out the basis of a root and branch overhaul of governance in England. Whilst articulating a bold vision for the future of devolution in England, primarily through the establishment of Strategic Authorities, the white paper does much more than just that: including the desire to reset the relationship between central and local government, enhance local oversight and audit - whilst also recognising the need to attract and retain talent in the sector.
"In addition to new governance structures that will result in two-tier areas and small or failing unitaries putting forward proposals for reorganisation, the aspiration for economic growth is an underlying theme in the paper, including Mayoral Strategic Authorities' overview of Local Growth Plans and a National Wealth Fund – aimed at unleashing the potential of cities and regions.
"The white paper does much to address the strains faced by local government whilst delivering a cohesive vision for the future devolution aimed at delivering purposeful change locally and nationally."
Peter Ware, Head of Government at Browne Jacobson
“The scale of these sweeping reforms chimes with the government’s assertion this is a ‘devolution revolution’, which has potential to transform local government into a simpler, more efficient system.
“The creation of strategic authorities and enhanced powers for elected mayors should ensure that every region has a seat at the table nationally, while also removing complexity and duplication in a system that has become a complicated patchwork of arrangements. If the general public and businesses have a better understanding of how local government works, they will be more likely to engage with it.
“Although government will hope that the creation of strategic authorities will streamline local decision-making, this won’t automatically be the case and will require lots of work to ensure efficiencies are delivered.
“Local voices must also not become ignored. Like with the updated National Planning Policy Framework that establishes a ‘stick’-led approach to new development, it’s crucial that communities feel their views are heard in decisions affecting their lives.
“District, borough and indeed all councils must therefore work hard when considering their proposals for local government reorganisation to ensure the localities currently covered by districts and boroughs are adequately represented in new unitary authorities.
“Collaboration between new strategic authorities and their elected mayors will also be vital. In some cases, unitary councils and regional councils will be split across different geographies, as will some district and boroughs.
“With the government imposing mandatory housebuilding targets on each area, authorities must work together where new developments and associated public infrastructure will impact on neighbours.
“More broadly, while Whitehall is obviously keen on driving efficiency in this reset, it mustn’t forget that the true essence of devolution is supposed to provide a bespoke approach to each area’s specific set of opportunities and challenges.
“By standardising governance, powers and funding, there’s a risk of over-simplification in how we tackle very complex and fast-changing issues.”
Claire Ward, partner and local government sector specialist at Anthony Collins
“The devolution white paper goes beyond anything that councils might have expected – it sets out a completely new way to deliver better outcomes for residents.
“It creates a model for strategic authorities with unitary councils to deliver on the ground. It is not just proposing a change to structures but also considering where responsibility to deliver areas of competence should sit. There is pace and ambition in the paper, which will be the biggest shake up in local government for over 50 years.”
Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the Local Government Association
"We want every council in England to be able to secure devolution that works for them, their local economies, and their residents. While different areas will have strong views on what that should look like, genuine devolution of powers and resources can play a huge role in promoting inclusive economic growth, creating jobs, and improving public services. In a very centralised country, moving funding and power from Whitehall to local leaders is needed, but it must be done in a way where empowered councils and the communities they serve are at the heart of decision-making.
“Reforms in this white paper will have a significant impact on every council and community. While our members are – and always have been – open to change, we remain clear that local government reorganisation should be a matter for councils and local areas to decide. In the coming weeks and months, the LGA will be engaging proactively with all our members across the country as we look to respond fully to the white paper. At the same time, we will be closely monitoring the bill and working with Parliamentarians to ensure we get the best possible legislation on behalf of our members.
“However, devolution is not an end in itself and cannot distract from the severe funding pressures that are pushing local services to the brink. It is vital the forthcoming provisional Local Government Finance Settlement provides councils with a significant and sustained increase in overall funding that reflects current and future demand for services. This should include compensation for the changes to employer national insurance contributions announced in the Budget.”
Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Chair of the District Councils’ Network
“Communities in district council areas are crying out as much for devolution every bit as much of those in other parts of the country so we passionately support the ambition shown by the Government in seeking to make every area part of a combined authority.
“It is essential that district councils – or a new form of highly localised unitary council – are the building blocks of combined authorities, with voting rights within them. Localised delivery expertise and understanding of local communities is the perfect counterbalance to the wide scale of the strategic bodies.”
“District councils are close to communities, which makes us responsive, approachable, trusted and understanding of local needs. The danger is that all of this is lost in the top-down imposition of mega councils – regional, rather than local government covering many hundreds of thousands or even millions of people. Bigger isn’t intrinsically better.
“While we welcome the Government’s commitment to extend devolution England-wide, the imposition of mega councils with a minimum population of 500,000 is the opposite of devolution, taking powers away from local communities.
“Councillors should be the leaders of neighbourhoods to best be able to respond to local needs so it’s vital that they continue to cover localised wards and are familiar with all areas within their council’s boundaries. If reorganisation results in vast mega councils, the danger is that the powerful link between councillor and citizen will be lost and local democracy is diminished.”
Cllr Tim Oliver, Chairman of the County Councils Network
“Today’s English Devolution White Paper provides a clear direction of travel on the future of local government in England. Building on positive progress on devolution to counties in recent years, it sets out a more ambitious framework of devolved powers and funding alongside an unambiguous desire for mayoral strategic authorities and local government reorganisation.
“Over recent years a number of areas have successfully reorganised to create unitary authorities, while the creation of Combined County Authorities (CCAs) has provided a more suitable governance model for devolution in rural areas. The government has rightly committed to maintain the CCA model and non-mayoral devolution options.
“However, given the government’s clear policy direction, most County Councils Network (CCN) members now recognise the need to embrace the benefits of mayoral devolution. Faced with these opportunities and with significant financial challenges, it is also clear that in many county areas local government reorganisation is necessary to unlock the barriers to more ambitious devolution settlements whilst creating simpler council structures that are more financially sustainable and recognisable to the public.
“We welcome the white paper outlining that new unitary councils should have a population of 500,000 or more. We look forward to further details on the criteria and process for reorganisation, but with council finances under severe strain it is imperative that reform ensures that new unitary councils have the size and scale necessary to deliver substantial long-term savings, minimise disruption to care services and maintain strong tax bases well into the future. Any decisions on local government reorganisation by ministers must be evidence-based and ensure that county councils are not split into multiple small unitary councils that cannot fulfil the ambitions of this white paper.
“Moreover, while our member councils recognise the opportunities presented by the creation of new strategic authorities and more powers for mayors, the role of local authorities should be enhanced not diminished; with a clear separation between mayors in spearheading an area’s strategic growth and constituent councils in delivering day-to-day essential local services such as social care.
“Moving forward, the government are clearly determined to move at pace to deliver on proposals with those areas with the most advanced propositions for devolution and local government reorganisation. The CCN is committed to working closely with ministers and sector stakeholders to support local areas.”
Cllr Mark Mills-Bishop, Leader of Broxbourne Council
“I fully support the principle of devolving powers to local areas.
“However, I am deeply concerned about the impact that the creation of single unitary authorities will have on local communities. I have seen no evidence that the services which residents and businesses receive from Broxbourne Borough Council will be improved by handing those services over to a larger, more remote council.
“In its white paper, the Government stated that it will be seeking the creation of unitary authorities covering a population in excess of 500,000. This will only serve to move decision-making further away from local people. An authority of that size will be unable to cater for the needs of local residents and the delivery of place-based services will be unmanageable on that scale. I therefore strongly oppose the direction on Local Government Reform proposed by the Government.
“At the present time, there has been no consultation with district and borough councils or local residents and I want to ensure that local views are taken into consideration.”
Joint statement from the Leaders of Kent County Council, Medway Council, and the District and Borough Councils of Kent
“We will be carefully considering the detail in the Government’s plans.
“All 14 principal Councils in Kent have made it clear to the Deputy Prime Minister that we want to work closely together in partnership, and with the Government, to shape an innovative and comprehensive devolution deal for Kent and Medway that works for our local communities.
“Our priority now will be to ensure the framework and additional powers work in the best interests of residents and businesses across Kent and Medway, with a focus on improving economic, environmental, and social prosperity whilst respecting the needs and desires of local people.
“We will be working collaboratively with our partners across the public sector to shape the plans and proposals to ensure we continue to provide high-quality and greatly valued services for our residents, respecting the history and communities of Kent residents.”
Cllr Mike Bell, Leader of North Somerset Council
“We welcome the promises of changes to financing, longer term funding settlements and freeing councils from top-down micromanagement. North Somerset needs a fair deal, it's fair share of the national cake and a fair chance to work in partnership with our neighbours and businesses to grow our economy and improve our community.
“However, I am concerned that North Somerset risks being left behind because of our almost unique position of seeking entry into an existing mayoral combined authority which has elections next year. North Somerset needs to be included in the Devolution Priority Programme, which the government announced today, and we will be continuing to make that case direct to government and through our three MPs.”
Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
“It’s important that the Government’s English devolution reforms build trust in communities across the country so that people can have confidence in local accountability. This trust is crucial when residents rely on vital services like housing, temporary accommodation, and social care and when key national ambitions around building new homes are dependent on getting local planning right.
“The proposed devolution reforms pose important questions around local representation and raise concerns that there will be a loss of voice for residents. Residents who choose not to adopt a mayoral model should not be disadvantaged. The Government should also set out what they will do to deliver proper accountability during the local government reorganisation and ensure that local communities receive the continuity of service they need.
Cllr Claire Holland, Chair of London Councils
“The government’s devolution agenda offers a golden opportunity to update London’s devolution settlement and ensure we fulfil our potential as a capital city.
“Boroughs already work closely with the Mayor to tackle the key challenges facing London, but our reliance on voluntary arrangements represents a real risk to long-term stability and delivery. More formal arrangements for shared decision-making between the Mayor and boroughs will enable us to work together more effectively, secure better outcomes for Londoners, and help drive economic growth.
“From boosting housebuilding to helping Londoners into work, boroughs play a critical role in on-the-ground delivery. Ensuring we have a seat at the table is vital for producing the best possible outcomes for the communities we represent. We look forward to contributing to the government’s devolution plans and helping shape this exciting agenda alongside the Mayor.”
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGIU
“The Government’s devolution agenda as set out in today’s White Paper is ambitious and far reaching. At LGIU, we have for many years argued that complex problems find their best solutions locally and that power needs to be devolved from Whitehall to our regions, councils and communities. Localism is both a democratic good and a better way of getting things done.
“On that basis, we welcome the White Paper’s intent and direction of travel, though we believe it should also include a real commitment to fiscal devolution.
“But devolution is a process not an event. The most important thing is not what’s in the White Paper but how we respond to it, how the government seeks to implement it and the conversations that sit around that.
“From a local government perspective, the White Paper holds out promise but also creates risk. We need to ensure that the coming months are not just spent in fractious debate about the appropriate size for unitary councils. Our agenda cannot just be about shuffling existing powers and functions around between different sized units of government. This must be about genuine added value and better outcomes for communities whatever the structures we end up with.”
