‘Change is coming whether local government likes it or not’

is a way of delivering more resources to people who are delivering services.

“We are going to see significant differences over the next decade in how we see services delivered, and automation and digitalisation is going to change that anyway. So we have to be the shapers of change and not people who will be driven by changes.

“I would like them to embrace a vision of an activist local government and an agile one, able to shape communities in the future. And a vision where local government is more powerful in the future than it is today. And I don’t see how you can embrace all of those positive things with the current structure.”

But he again stressed that he is looking for agreement on a shared vision for the future.

“What I have said, and it is just my view, is there are different options for that future. My preferred option would be a fewer number of authorities, but much more powerful local government. And mergers are irrelevant to this in many ways. They are only important in getting us to a postion where we want to be.

“But I am not attracted to the idea of local authorities just saying they are working together so leave us alone. That is the lowest common denominator. And the fact that you are having a chat with someone who lives in the next valley and sharing the biscuits shouldn’t be regarded as a triumph. It should be regarded as what you should have been doing 20 years ago, so I don’t see that as being especially compelling. But what I do see as compelling is a shared vision, and across a wider region, and then local authorities coming together to deliver it.”

He stressed it will require change from the Welsh Government too.

He added: “I want to devolve powers from Cardiff Bay to city and county halls across Wales. My agenda is to look for a new settlement in Wales to have a more mature relationship with local authorities. So Welsh Government needs to understand that a partnership with local government is one of equals and of colleagues where we deliver change together. I would like to see a single public service in Wales uniting local government with Welsh Government and eventually potentially the NHS as well.”

However, WLGA chief executive Steve Thomas said that while local authorities will be keen to engage with Mr Davies on a future vision, there was no appetite for mergers – arguing that sustainability was not about creating larger local authorities, but dealing with the challenges of austerity.

Mr Thomas said: “The WLGA position on this, supported by the executive board, is that we are not prepared to engage with a single merger programme down to 10. If any local authorities want to come together through voluntary mergers, the WLGA would absolutely support them. But it seems like we have been here so many times before... The biggest issue facing local authorities is not around structures but austerity. Over the last eight years, excluding schools, austerity has cut back funding across Wales by 33% and in some functions, like economic development, it has been reduced by 70%.”

He said that Mr Davies’ green paper gave no indication of any merger programme’s likely impact on job losses, in addition to lacking a business case and empirical evidence.

“So what will it mean for jobs in a post-Brexit era? In some parts of Wales, local government is the only real employer. And what also for democratic accountability? And if big is supposed to be beautiful, then why isn’t Betsi Cadwaladr the best health board in Wales? And in England, Northamptonshire – with a population of 730,000, which is far more than any local authority in Wales – is bankrupt and Surrey, with a population of 1.3 million, is £100m in deficit. So the issue of sustainability is around funding and not structures and size.”