Minister won’t force councils into mergers

PLANS that could have seen councils forced to merge have been withdrawn by Local Government Secretary Alun Davies.

Last November Mr Davies suggested that the number of local authorities could be reduced from 22 to 10, publishing a map that showed details of possible mergers and warning council leaders: “Change or we will change you!”

But addressing the Welsh Local Government Association’s (WLGA’s) annual conference in Llandudno, he made it clear that any mergers would be voluntary.

There was widespread opposition to forced mergers in local authorities.

20 out of 22 councils provided their response to Mr Davies’ Green Paper to the Conservatives’ Shadow Local Government Secretary Janet Finch-Saunders, with all but Swansea council expressing opposition to the merger proposals.

Vale of Glamorgan council said: “The previous Cabinet Secretary [Mark Drakeford] promised 10 years of stability. This Cabinet Secretary has not provided 10 months’ worth.”

Caerphilly council said: “We cannot see that a wholescale local government reorganisation is something that should be considered. The financial benefits are debatable at best.”

Ms Finch-Saunders said: “These proposals were rejected almost universally by local authorities across Wales, as well as by opposition parties in the Assembly.

“The Welsh Conservatives made clear from the start that we felt this was topdown Welsh Government diktat and would not be welcomed by those within the sector – who had previously been promised a decade of stability by the previous Cabinet Secretary.

“The Cabinet Secretary spoke of a partnership approach and active centres of self-governing local government – and we await the detail of this in his forthcoming Bill.

“I am pleased that he seems to have seen sense in withdrawing the map – but would urge the Cabinet Secretary to ensure that in bringing forward his new Bill, he takes the local government sector with him. Full and open public consultation throughout any reform proposal process is essential. I hope that he has learnt his lesson in this regard from the Green Paper debacle.”

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “The Cabinet Secretary has always said that we will work to agree and not impose a solution.

“He has made an open offer to invite local government to agree a shared vision for the future, and we are keen to take this process forward together in partnership.

“We are grateful to local government for accepting this offer.”

In her keynote speech to the conference, WLGA leader Debbie Wilcox – also the leader of Newport council – said: “If the Green Paper recommendation of just 10 local authorities was to be implemented, our most local unit of government would have an average population of over 300,000 people. The distance between community and government would be bigger in Wales than in any other part of Europe.

“It is now my sincere wish and I know that I speak for you all in this that the Welsh Government will look at the responses, carefully reflect upon what has been said by stakeholders and act accordingly in the next steps that they take in their dealings with local government over this significant issue and we can move forward and get on with delivering services.”

Ms Wilcox also warned about what she sees as a resurgence in the power of quangos, saying: “For nearly 20 years, the Welsh Government has followed the path of all central governments. It has tried to extend the reach of the state and has sought uniformity rather than civic strength. In this setting rather than empower local government we are witnessing quangos, trusts and arms-length boards hijacking the democratic provision of services...

“I’m telling you right here, right now the quangos are rising from the bonfire and we need to resist, resist, resist.”