Agenda item

Councillor Hall, seconded by Councillor Morrell, will propose the following amendment to the printed recommendation:

Motion to amend the recommendation:

I have spent significant time in recent weeks working with colleagues across Leicestershire in considering the Borough Councils response to the LCC proposal for Local Government Reform in Leicestershire and the East Midlands.

Whilst I and other district leaders are working together to consider a range of options, LCC have refused to join with us insisting that they will only speak with us after they have tabled their own proposals.

In an e-mail response to me on 12th September the County Council Leader reiterated that it would help the debate if the districts were to put their proposals out.

This is not how we should be discussing things, but I hope this evening that members will support this motion to give LCC at least part of what they ask for.

Officers of this council are working with colleagues from other councils to consider the options available for Leicestershire and the East Midlands region. They will be looking at ways of collaborating to reduce overall cost, possible district mergers and unitary structures.

I have however made a decision that for Hinckley and Bosworth we can move more quickly to introduce change without affecting the overall outcome of these discussions, and in doing so we shall send a clear message to our community, the County Council, our officers, the rest of the East Midlands and Westminster.

Since 1997 Leicester City Council with a population of 450,000 and Rutland County Council with a population of around 38,000 have operated successfully as Unitary Councils. I believe it is now the time for Hinckley and Bosworth to follow that course. We can either sit back and wait for others at County Hall to plot our demise, or we can take a positive step to deliver a council which will work better for our residents, I believe that the time is right for HBBC to take steps to become a unitary council.

In Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Greater London, national and regional governments are supported by a single tier of unitary councils ranging from 22,000 people in Orkney to 600,000 in Glasgow. The size of those councils are determined not by economics but by community geography and cohesion.

We are a council representing a population of some 110,000 people, we are big enough to shed the shackles of the County Council and in doing so we would enable our officers to focus their efforts on addressing all of the issues which matter to our residents.

This change would be consistent with the creation of a regional government for the East Midlands, could be modified to support the outcome of district councils’ collective work in Leicestershire, and indications are that it would have the support of our residents.

I therefore propose that the recommendation in this report is amended as follows.

2. RECOMMENDATION

2.1       To note the decision of LCC for a unitary structure of local government in Leicestershire and its timetable for formally consulting and considering its proposal.

2.2       To note the initial appraisal of a range of options that have been investigated with the support of specialist consultants.

2.3       To endorse a request to East Midlands Councils and LCC that consideration be given to the review of options for establishing a strategic body for the East Midlands, that could be responsible for strategic commissioning of social care, public health, transport and education.

2.4       To reaffirm that this council does not believe that it is in the best interests of the borough’s residents to scrap Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council in favour of a unitary council for Leicestershire.

2.5       To note the outcome of a borough-wide survey on residents’ views on retaining the district council and on options for a town council for Hinckley.

2.6       To agree a timetable for reporting on the outcomes of LCC’s stakeholder engagements exercise and its Cabinet decision on its preferred option.

2.7       That a review be undertaken in conjunction with other Leicestershire districts over the potential for direct local delivery of a range of services currently provided by Leicestershire County Council.

2.8       This council should take all necessary steps to become a unitary borough council for the Hinckley and Bosworth area.

2.9       A timetable covering the steps required to move to unitary status, and the key issues to be resolved, are to be brought to our next council meeting.

Council was updated on the recent announcement by Leicestershire County Council (LCC) regarding its decision to develop proposals for a unitary structure of local government in Leicestershire, and for the creation of an East Midlands Strategic Alliance. In presenting the report, Councillor Hall updated members on the outcome of the survey that had been undertaken with residents, with 85% of respondents indicating they would support retaining the borough council. He also updated on responses to options for a town council for Hinckley. Councillor Hall, seconded by Councillor Morrell, moved the recommendations in the officer’s report along with two additional points which had been circulated to members before the meeting:

“2.8      This Council should take all necessary steps to become a unitary borough council for the Hinckley & Bosworth area;

2.9       A timetable covering the steps required to move to unitary status, and the key issues to be resolved, be brought to the next Council meeting”.

In moving the above, Councillor Hall made a further amendment to 2.8, which was supported by Councillor Morrell:

“2.8      This Council should review all necessary steps to become a unitary borough council for the Hinckley & Bosworth area”.

A member urged caution about moving to unitary status as the biggest costs currently experienced by unitary authorities, such as social care, would be imposed on HBBC. It was also suggested that it was better for the districts to continue collaboratively.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Lay and seconded by Councillor Camamile that 2.8 should read:

“2.8      This Council should explore and appraise the potential for a unitary borough council for the Hinckley & Bosworth area”.

Following further discussion, the amendment was accepted by the mover and seconder of the original motion, who also agreed that paragraph 2.9, which they had proposed early in the debate, be removed.

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED –

(i)            The decision of LCC for a unitary structure of local government in Leicestershire and its timetable for formally consulting and considering its proposal be noted;

(ii)           The initial appraisal of a range of options that have been investigated with the support of specialist consultants be noted;

(iii)          A request to East Midlands Councils and LCC that consideration be given to the review of options for establishing a strategic body for the East Midlands that could be responsible for the strategic commissioning of social care, public health, transport and education, be endorsed;

(iv)         It be reaffirmed that this Council does not believe that it is in the best interests of the borough’s residents to scrap Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council in favour of a unitary council for Leicestershire;

(v)          The outcome of the borough-wide survey on residents’ views on retaining the borough council and on options for a town council for Hinckley be noted;

(vi)         A timetable for reporting on the outcomes of LCC’s stakeholder engagements exercise and its Cabinet’s decision on its preferred option be agreed;

(vii)        A review be undertaken in conjunction with other Leicestershire districts over the potential for direct local delivery of a range of services currently provided by LCC;

(viii)       This Council explores and appraises the potential for a unitary borough council for the Hinckley & Bosworth area.