Local authorities in two-tier areas would benefit from a ‘new generation of policy' that would help councils achieve unitary status on their own, a think-tank has urged this week.
The recommendation for a clearer pathway to voluntary reorganisation is contained in a collection of essays issued 2 July by the New Local Government Network (NLGN).
In his introduction to the collection, entitled ‘Right tier, right now', NLGN director Simon Parker said: ‘What is clear from the essays is that shires are talking about much more than a traditional reorganisation process.'
‘Both counties and districts are thinking about the future of their organisations and new themes are emerging, from economic collaboration to health and social care integration,' Mr Parker added.
In his essay, Nick Cave, service director for Buckinghamshire CC, wrote: ‘It can't make sense that nationally just 18% of upper-tier councils are left withering on the two-tier vine while the majority of councils continue to reap the financial and service benefits of a unitary approach'.
And, Jim Graham, chief executive of Warwickshire CC, explained how the authority
decided to make the case for a unitary county with a view to persuading the incoming secretary of state for local government after the 2015 general election.
Mr Graham added ‘a desire to hang onto the status quo at all costs and not even consider the evidence of other ways of delivering public services does not appear to put the public interests at the heart of the matter.'
