Councillors to discuss local authority merger plan

Councillors are set to discuss plans to create a single county-wide authority in Warwickshire, with proposals including halving the number of councillors, saving £21m a year as a result

Warwickshire County Council's cabinet will discuss a 26-page draft rationale on Thursday that makes the case for a new unitary authority, with discussions also including a proposal to join West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Warwickshire is currently covered by one county council and five smaller district and borough councils, with services split over these two levels.

The government announced proposals last year for a major redesign of local authorities, which includes merging areas that have two tiers.

The six current councils have combined savings targets of £30.1m per year, rising to £97.8m in five years. The county's early estimates suggest £21m per year could be saved by one council, or £7m if there are two unitary authorities.

Warwickshire applied in January to be part of the first wave of the scheme, but it did not make it into a shortlist of six areas selected for fast-track devolution.

The rationale document supports the option of one county-wide body, but acknowledges counter-proposals for two bodies – one covering Warwick and Stratford districts, and the other covering Rugby, North Warwickshire, and Nuneaton and Bedworth.

It is argued that keeping services together in one authority would be more cost-effective.

An initial submission must be sent to the government by 21 March, with detailed proposals to be fleshed out by November.

The cabinet will be asked to vote to allow council leader Izzi Seccombe and chief executive Monica Fogarty to file Warwickshire's plan in line with the rationale.

There are 257 councillor seats across the six councils and, while some are held by "twin-hatter" councillors who serve at both levels, the county expects there to be 80-120 seats on a single council or 100-128 across two.

The rationale also looks at Warwickshire's economic relationship with neighbouring Coventry, whose city council is a full member of the WMCA.

Warwickshire council is a non-constituent member, with less power but also less financial obligation.

"Full membership of the West Midlands Combined Authority appears the logical option in terms of maintaining the critical Coventry and Warwickshire economic geography," the report said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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