A new push for a council revolution

PREVIOUS attempts to slash the number of councils in Wales have come to naught, but Public Services Secretary Alun Davies is up for the challenge.

Under plans now out for consultation, Wales could have 10 local authorities instead of 22.

The final redrawing of the local government map is not expected imminently. The green paper lays out a range of options for how such sweeping change could come, and the failure of previous efforts at mass reorganisation illustrates the level of resistance the Welsh Government could encounter.

But Mr Davies argues that years of austerity have created a situation where “services are wearing down to the point of collapse” and he claims there is a “general acceptance that things cannot carry on as they are”.

For years, councils have been urged to embrace collaboration and share services and staff. But the Labour Welsh Government does not want to give up on the goal of cutting the number of local authorities.

Wales’ present local government map dates back to John Redwood’s time as Conservative Welsh Secretary. His system of 22 unitary authorities has been much derided but it replaced an even more complicated two-tier set-up involving eight county councils and 37 district councils.

The question of how local democracy in Wales should work is guaranteed to ignite controversy, especially in the post-devolution age.

Councillors will feel aggrieved if they perceive that the Welsh Government is seeking to extend its influence over daily life in Wales at the expense of local councils.

Similarly, people in smaller communities may well balk at the idea of seeing their “local” council merged with that of a larger neighbour.

Councillors and the communities they represent have every right to protest if they believe that the changes will lead to less responsive government and erode the quality of local democracy. However, most people’s priority will be securing the best-quality public services at a time of tightened finances, and advocates of change will find a receptive audience if they can make a compelling case that larger councils will deliver better value.

Wales is a small nation but home to radically different communities facing distinct challenges. The need to raise the level of skills and earnings across the whole nation is urgent, and this requires strong and intelligent local leadership. The Western Mail newspaper is published by Media Wales a subsidiary company of Trinity Mirror PLC, which is a member of IPSO, the Independent Press Standards Organisation. The entire contents of The Western Mail are the copyright of Media Wales Ltd. It is an offence to copy any of its contents in any way without the company’s permission. If you require a licence to copy parts of it in any way or form, write to the Head of Finance at Six Park Street. The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2016 was 62.8%