Two-authority plan for county backed by council

Warwickshire should be run by two councils rather than one in the future, one of its district authorities has agreed.

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

However, the government announced proposals last year for a major redesign of local authorities to streamline services and save money.

The county council has already set out a case for a single unitary authority, but Stratford-on-Avon District Council voted on Monday to progress plans for split north Warwickshire and south Warwickshire councils.

The controlling Liberal Democrat group was joined by Green Party members in supporting plans for two unitary councils.

All bar one Conservative and both independent members chose to not to vote either way, saying this was mainly on the basis arguments were not fully formed.

Meanwhile, one Conservative councillor voted against the two-council idea.

Residents will now be asked for their views before the authority sends its final submission to the government in November.

Council leader councillor Susan Juned has previously said Warwickshire's authorities had a "clear preference" for two new unitary councils, rather than one.

A Deloitte report commissioned by all five district and borough councils suggested a county-wide unitary would achieve greater financial savings.

But it added two councils would be the best option against all other criteria, including governance, public service delivery, local identity, and stronger community engagement.

In the meeting on Monday, Lib Dem councillor Victoria Alcock spoke against the idea of one large authority and said: "Having somebody faceless coming into a large area, residents will suffer and in quite a big way."

Conservative councillor Ian Shenton expressed concerns about both proposals.

He said: "This will be an issue whatever route is taken. Even with two unitaries, there is no guarantee, for instance, that the council will be based here in Stratford-upon-Avon."

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

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