Leaders back super council ‘principle’

THE leaders of all 15 councils in Lancashire - including Rossendale - have backed ‘the principle’ of creating a new combined authority in the county.

It is the first time that unanimity has been achieved on the divisive issue since they began discussing the idea four years ago.

Lancashire County Council’s Conservative leader Geoff Driver told a meeting of his own authority’s cabinet that he and his counterparts reached the agreement earlier this month.

However, this tacit approval is still subject to the consent of each individual council and set to become embroiled in fractious discussions about the reorganisation of Lancashire’s complex local government map.

The county council cabinet has now voted to back the principle of a combined authority and the elected mayor to go with it.

Rossendale council leader Coun Alyson Barnes, who also chairs the District Leaders Forum, said: “Councils in Lancashire are keen to work together for the benefit of all our residents and businesses across Lancashire.

“The interest in a combined authority for Lancashire stems from the ability to access greater Government funding to assist the growth of businesses and stimulate the economy.”

County Coun Driver said that he did not think the county would be given ‘much choice’ about whether to rethink its local authority set-up’.

He said: “The messages that we’re getting are that the government is seeing a combined authority and a local government review as going hand in glove, because they see the need to simplify the local government structure.”

Labour opposition group leader County

Coun Azhar Ali said he backed both the principle of an elected mayor and some council reorganisation to avoid the risk of multiple tiers of local government ‘frustrating decisionmaking’.

He said: “We are all for a strategic combined authority responsible for major tasks such as economic development, transport and education and skills policy.

“But we need to simplify local government structure with possible three unitary authorities below it.

“We support a Pennine Lancashire responsible for day to day things like bin collection and libraries made up of Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale and possibly Ribble Valley.”

After the meeting he said that a combined authority could win government investment in projects such as a new Rawtenstall to

Manchester train link.

●● Councillor, Geoff Driver, Conservative, leader on Lancashire County Council