Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon councils to request merger

Two Warwickshire councils have agreed to request to work as a single local authority.

Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon district councils will ask the government for permission for a political merger as South Warwickshire District Council.

The Conservative-led authorities say the move reflects the "enormous impact" the coronavirus pandemic has had on operations.

They would work together in areas including waste collection and housing.

Some critics of the proposal say services cannot be shared in a political arrangement without paving the way towards full merger from which, they add, there is no return.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service stated both authorities would make a request to the secretary of state at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove.

A report has said both councils face "a very uncertain financial future" with annual shortfalls of millions of pounds.

The authorities said while the pandemic had affected their operations, they found "working together we've been able to respond positively".

Under the proposals, the authorities would combine to deliver services including waste collection, local planning, housing, management of parks and sports facilities, licensing, business support and environmental health.

The Stratford council tweeted that following a full council meeting, it had agreed to formally submit a request to the government.

Following a Warwick authority meeting in which members were allowed a free vote, 23 councillors voted in favour of the move, with 12 against and five opting to abstain.

The majority of Conservative and Liberal Democrat members voted in favour while the Greens voted against and the majority of Labour members abstained.

Warwick leader Andrew Day, who urged people to vote in favour, said: "If we are going to face the real challenges then we can't sit on our hands - the bigger risk here is to do nothing."

Councillor Jacqui Grey, one of four Warwick Tories to vote against the proposal, said: "It has always been possible to deliver the majority of the benefits without the political merger, effectively working in what would be a joint venture arrangement with Stratford District Council - a globally accepted and successful way of working."

Ian Davison, Green, likened the merger to a shotgun wedding where divorce would be impossible. Colin Quinney, Labour, said he was concerned that residents across the district remained uninformed about what the proposal would mean.

Sidney Syson, Liberal Democrat, questioned whether services could be shared without a full merger, adding: "No man, or woman, can serve two masters."

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