So, phase one of the great unitary debate is over and the Government has announced the bids from both Northumberland County Council and its six districts will go forward to stakeholder consultation. Was it really the case that both met the expected criteria? Or was the initial invitation wrong not to allow for a comparative assessment in advance of shortlisting? I suppose it doesn't really matter now, as the task at hand is to ensure the best outcome for the county area and the citizens of its many diverse communities. On first appearance, the fact that Northumberland and its districts both put in unitary bids will have given plenty of headaches to those officials and ministers keen to resolve the untenable arrangement that continues to pass for local government in the area. Scratch the surface, however, and we are coming at the problem with a common – and perhaps helpful? – aim of a county-wide vision and solution. Where our bid aims to remove the inefficiencies of two-tier through a single authority arrangement, the districts' bid is predicated on a number of county-wide joint service boards. The similarity, however, ends when we get into the three key areas of efficiency, localism and long-term economic fortunes. On efficiency, the county bid wins hands down. Independent verification has suggested that £17m a year will be saved. Meanwhile, the removal of unnecessary duplication on procurement, technology and contracts will lead to the delivery of greater efficiencies and further value for money. The county's proposals also offer a localist solution for Northumberland, with 25 clearly-identifiable localities becoming the vehicle for community and stakeholder engagement, member empowerment and on the ground, service delivery. In delivering both efficiency and localism, the single unitary solution will create clear lines of accountability at county and community level which will see the public and local stakeholders know exactly where responsibility lies for success and failure. It will be ‘double devolution' by default. Northumberland's proposal also offers a long-term economic solution for the county area and by extension, the wider region. Last year's major OECD report identified the North East economy as lagging behind the rest of the UK. Yet it also identified Northumberland as suffering from an internal lag within the region. To carve up the county into one mostly-rural unitary, and one mostly-urban, in the manner that our districts bid proposes, will merely bring a more limited focus to problems rather than connecting Northumberland to the economic fortunes of the North East and indeed, the UK. With the region/city-regions debate of the past two years now taking on a more sophisticated form through the work of a Treasury-led review, sub-regional strategies are emerging as the most likely solution for delivery of successful and healthy regions. Given the size and scale of the North East, it is vital that the Northumberland sub-region speaks with a clear and respected voice alongside its partners in Durham, Teesside and Newcastle-Gateshead. Northumberland's case for single unitary status is overwhelming on both a financial and practical level. Yet it is also an intellectually overwhelming argument that has resonance with many key figures, including public partners and the business community, who have pledged their support. A county-wide solution to Northumberland's governance has been recognised by the county and districts alike. The need now, however, is to ensure that the most efficient and localist option – the one most likely to deliver for the people of the area – wins the day. To do otherwise would amount to something of a fudge. n Cllr Peter Hillman is deputy leader of Northumberland CC
