There’s a lot at stake if councils merge

The vote for a Brexit has undeniably changed the political landscape in the country but as the parties grapple with the consequences, there are ripples elsewhere. The uncertainty over the economy means key challenges have not gone away – not least for our local councils. With the ongoing public sector spending squeeze, one thing remains clear: our councils are having to do more with less – considerably less as the government wields the axe and slashes grants to the bone. Which brings us to a proposal by five of our councils, including Ashford and Shepway, to merge to form a combined ‘East Kent’ council. The move is a response to an invitation by government to councils to put forward new ways of working together under its devolution agenda. It might come across as the sort of debate of interest only to councillors but it is far more. A merger has the potential to save the taxpayer money and if that is the case, the debate is something we should all take an interest in. There are clear economies of scale: having just one chief executive instead of five would clearly save money. As would having fewer councillors, too. Against that is the sense of identity many feel for their areas as well as the sense of being a distinct part of the county. Merging councils to form one combined authority could impose the kind of artificial geographical boundary which gives bureaucrats a bad name. And there is the question of whether a merged council might eventually lead to the disappearance of Kent County Council. There is a lot at stake – much more than our councils are letting on just now.

A merger has the potential to save the taxpayer money