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SDC deputy leader questions lack of ‘meaningful consultation’ over unitary authority plans for Warwickshire




By Andy Mitchell,

Local Democracy Reporter

THE leader of Warwickshire County Council insists she wants towns and parishes to have a say on plans for a new unitary authority despite claims they have not been consulted.

Last week, Councillor Izzi Seccombe OBE (Con, Stour & the Vale) signed off the political decision to proceed with plans to abolish Warwickshire’s top six councils – the county and the five districts and boroughs – to bring all services under one new county-wide council by April 2027.

Elected representatives of various councils spoke at the meeting, many opposing the pace at which Warwickshire is seeking to go and the prospect of postponing county council elections scheduled for May this year.

The deputy leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council Councillor George Cowcher (Lib Dem, Wellesbourne South) questioned whether various aspects had been considered, expressing concern at a lack of “meaningful consultation with other councils”.

“I know even for my parish council that this could be really significant,” he said.

“While the timescales are extremely short, we are conscious that in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire there has been significant consultation – we haven’t had any here at all.”

Cllr George Cowcher, SDC deputy leader. Photo: Mark Williamson
Cllr George Cowcher, SDC deputy leader. Photo: Mark Williamson

He asked whether other options had been considered, particularly the prospect of forming two unitary authorities for Warwickshire in the north and the south, noting “there isn’t an enormous commonality of interest” between the two areas.

He cited the county’s aspiration to more formally link with the West Midlands Combined Authority “which we are totally and utterly opposed to”, quoting West Midlands mayor Richard Parker as having ruled out any boundary changes to incorporate Warwickshire.

“If you are rejected, what is your plan B? Clearly, as a county we will need to be part of a strategic authority,” said Cllr Cowcher.

He ended by saying it was “essential we take part in elections” this year, adding: “The last elections were taken at a different time politically and we need to have a county council that represents the up-to-date views of members of the public.”

Cllr Seccombe responded to a number of addresses together, starting with the general point that it was the government’s intention to move quickly on local government reorganisation.

“There have been a number of online meetings with ministers and civil servants from MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) which plenty of members of district and borough councils have attended alongside me,” she said.

“They have made it very clear that the intention of the government is to unitarise the whole of the country over the next few years and it has been given a timeline of by 2028.”

She said it was her vision to include towns and parishes in so far as they want to be involved while noting differences in capacity at some compared with others.

“There are opportunities in a new council that is shaped by all of you, around ensuring that the voice of residents has a place,” she said.

“Those who say we are taking everything to Warwick and it is going to be too far away from the front line – it is not going to be in my vision but I am just one person and I want others to come forward and be part of it.

“In that vision, I see us creating more community area committees, planning committees that are local. As a (county) council, we already create area delivery in social care and education, and our highway teams as well.

“This is what you shape in the next few years and that is why there is a need to delay the election in my opinion. In the minister’s own words this week, there is an enormous amount of work to be done – arguably, I would suggest they be led by different councils to help shape what they might be.”

Cllr Seccombe said government briefings had made clear that “they do not want local consultation” but a wider, ministry-led gauge of public opinion on the overall plans, going on to reiterate her stance that being in the first tranche would give Warwickshire the best chance of a proper say in how the plans come together.

“I would hope that by being in the early stage, we wouldn’t get a preconceived, top-down model that is delivered to us, that we have the chance to shape a model ourselves that Warwickshire wants and can be proud of,” she said.

“That is another very strong reason, I would argue, for taking this initiative and moving forward at an early stage.”

Cllr Seccombe added that full membership of the West Midlands Combined Authority was “not today’s question”.

“All six councils have a relationship with the combined authority as non-constituent members and presumably, by becoming non-constituent members, felt there was value in doing so,” she said.



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