“On 29 June Leicestershire County Council’s Leader issued a statement in which he asserted that:
‘The time has come to explore having a new council for Leicestershire’
On 6 July 2018 Leicestershire County Council Cabinet met to consider a report on local government reform in Leicestershire. The Cabinet endorsed LCC undertaking work to develop a Strategic Alliance for the East Midlands (involving County and City Councils), and to develop a unitary structure for local government in Leicestershire. I understand that similar proposals have also been made in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Following the announcement to the press on 29 June I issued the following statement:
‘The proposals for a single unitary Council for Leicestershire by Leicestershire County Councillors are a County Council view of how to improve local government. This proposal will however be of concern to HBBC employees as well as residents of Hinckley and Bosworth and I believe this is the wrong option for our area. HBBC employs local people, providing local services to their own communities, and they take pride in what they do. If we lose that local interest then we also lose that commitment to better services.
Councillors are also proud to work with their local communities and know that they can try to resolve residents’ issues with a small and dedicated team, who know their area and want to help. It will be a concern to some that this local provision of services could be lost.
As Leader at HBBC I have worked hard with all Councillors, officers and partner agencies to balance the needs of the community with the ability of the Council to deliver. We have done a fantastic job, improving services, investing in our communities, and reducing costs. We are planning thoughtfully for economic growth, for housing, and to support the most vulnerable in our communities.
Council Leaders across Leicestershire will have their own views on how best to improve local government, but for me a strong borough council should continue to be at the heart of delivering and improving the services we provide, and I will do my best to deliver that for local people.’
Leicestershire County Council Cabinet has produced a timetable for bringing forward their plans, including a time allocation for this authority, and others, to be consulted on their proposals. It is clear from their plans that LCC have a view that this Council, along with others, should be scrapped, and that we should not be included in any strategic alliance.
There have been statements pointing out that residents of this borough would not benefit from such a unitary authority, due to our current low level of council tax. Also having a county based unitary would make Leicestershire one of the largest unitary councils in the country and arguably even more remote from our communities.
Part of the proposal by LCC would be for Leicestershire’s towns, including Hinckley, to have their own town councils, with parish councils taking on more responsibilities. This is a matter for our residents to decide, not for those at County Hall.
If, as is claimed, the system of local government is broken, then we do need to consider ways of how this potentially can be fixed. I do not believe that the County Council proposals will deliver the best for our residents and any work to develop a new model needs to build on the excellent collaborative arrangements already in place with districts and involve all councils and a wider discussion across the East Midlands about the options available.
These options could include:-
Forming a combined authority/strategic alliance including districts within the East Midlands
Stronger partnerships and collaborative arrangements between existing councils
Council mergers at district or county level
A range of possible unitary structures
Creating new town councils.
This Council therefore resolves to:-
1) Undertake a public consultation to determine if Hinckley residents, given the facts, would be in favour of Leicestershire County Council’s favoured proposal for a town council, and if so we commit to its introduction.
2) Seek to work with all other Leicestershire authorities to evaluate a range of options on how best to deliver local government services in Leicestershire, building on the excellent collaborative work that already exists between districts.
3) Work with all East Midlands councils to consider the options for a combined authority/strategic alliance that will include districts, and to determine what powers this would seek.”
Amended proposed resolution from Councillor Hall, seconded by Councillor Morrell:
“Council therefore resolves that:
1) This Council does not believe that it is in the best interests of borough residents to scrap HBBC in favour of a unitary council for Leicestershire;
2) This Council will undertake a survey to consult with Hinckley residents to see if they are in favour of the introduction of a town council. If so, we commit to a full governance review to enable its introduction;
3) This Council will work with all other Leicestershire authorities to evaluate a range of options on how best to deliver local government services in Leicestershire;
4) This Council will work with other East Midlands councils to consider the options for a combined authority / strategic alliance and to determine what powers this would seek.”
Minutes:
Councillor Hall, seconded by Councillor Morrell, proposed the following motion (as amended in the supplementary agenda):
“On 29 June Leicestershire County Council’s Leader issued a statement in which he asserted that:
‘The time has come to explore having a new council for Leicestershire’
On 6 July 2018 Leicestershire County Council Cabinet met to consider a report on local government reform in Leicestershire. The Cabinet endorsed LCC undertaking work to develop a Strategic Alliance for the East Midlands (involving County and City Councils), and to develop a unitary structure for local government in Leicestershire. I understand that similar proposals have also been made in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Following the announcement to the press on 29 June I issued the following statement:
‘The proposals for a single unitary Council for Leicestershire by Leicestershire County Councillors are a County Council view of how to improve local government. This proposal will however be of concern to HBBC employees as well as residents of Hinckley and Bosworth and I believe this is the wrong option for our area. HBBC employs local people, providing local services to their own communities, and they take pride in what they do. If we lose that local interest then we also lose that commitment to better services.
Councillors are also proud to work with their local communities and know that they can try to resolve residents’ issues with a small and dedicated team, who know their area and want to help. It will be a concern to some that this local provision of services could be lost.
As Leader at HBBC I have worked hard with all Councillors, officers and partner agencies to balance the needs of the community with the ability of the Council to deliver. We have done a fantastic job, improving services, investing in our communities, and reducing costs. We are planning thoughtfully for economic growth, for housing, and to support the most vulnerable in our communities.
Council Leaders across Leicestershire will have their own views on how best to improve local government, but for me a strong borough council should continue to be at the heart of delivering and improving the services we provide, and I will do my best to deliver that for local people.’
Leicestershire County Council Cabinet has produced a timetable for bringing forward their plans, including a time allocation for this authority, and others, to be consulted on their proposals. It is clear from their plans that LCC have a view that this Council, along with others, should be scrapped, and that we should not be included in any strategic alliance.
There have been statements pointing out that residents of this borough would not benefit from such a unitary authority, due to our current low level of council tax. Also having a county based unitary would make Leicestershire one of the largest unitary councils in the country and arguably even more remote from our communities.
Part of the proposal by LCC would be for Leicestershire’s towns, including Hinckley, to have their own town councils, with parish councils taking on more responsibilities. This is a matter for our residents to decide, not for those at County Hall.
If, as is claimed, the system of local government is broken, then we do need to consider ways of how this potentially can be fixed. I do not believe that the County Council proposals will deliver the best for our residents and any work to develop a new model needs to build on the excellent collaborative arrangements already in place with districts and involve all councils and a wider discussion across the East Midlands about the options available.
These options could include:-
· Forming a combined authority/strategic alliance including districts within the East Midlands
· Stronger partnerships and collaborative arrangements between existing councils
· Council mergers at district or county level
· A range of possible unitary structures
· Creating new town councils.
Council therefore resolves that:
1) This Council does not believe that it is in the best interests of borough residents to scrap HBBC in favour of a unitary council for Leicestershire;
2) This Council will undertake a survey to consult with Hinckley residents to see if they are in favour of the introduction of a town council. If so, we commit to a full governance review to enable its introduction;
3) This Council will work with all other Leicestershire authorities to evaluate a range of options on how best to deliver local government services in Leicestershire;
4) This Council will work with other East Midlands councils to consider the options for a combined authority / strategic alliance and to determine what powers this would seek.”
During discussion on the motion, the following points were raised:
· The remoteness of the county council from residents
· The importance of local people providing local services
· The need for funding for social care to be addressed nationally
· The short term fix proposed by Leicestershire County Council being unrealistic against its significant financial and service challenges
· The difficulty that smaller parish councils would have if additional duties were passed onto them from the county council
· The unrealistic savings projection by the county council
· The need for a cross-party statement to represent a cross-party view
· The need to tell people the implications of having a town council if consulting on the proposal.
Councillor Bray along with five other members requested that voting on the motion be recorded. The vote was taken as follows:
Councillors Allen, Bessant, Bray, Cartwright, Cook, DS Cope, GAW Cope, Crooks, Hall, Hodgkins, Hollick, Kirby, Ladkin, Lay, Lynch, MacDonald, Morrell, Nichols, Nickerson, Roberts, Smith, Sutton, Taylor, Wallace, Ward and Williams voted FOR the motion (26);
Councillor Richards abstained from voting.
The motion was therefore declared CARRIED and it was
RESOLVED –
(i) This Council does not believe that it is in the best interests of borough residents to scrap HBBC in favour of a unitary council for Leicestershire;
(ii) This Council will undertake a survey to consult with Hinckley residents to see if they are in favour of the introduction of a town council. If so, we commit to a full governance review to enable its introduction;
(iii) This Council will work with all other Leicestershire authorities to evaluate a range of options on how best to delivery local government services in Leicestershire;
(iv) This Council will work with other East Midlands councils to consider the options for a combined authority / strategic alliance and to determine what powers this would seek;
(v) A joint statement be prepared and agreed by group leaders on this matter.