Leader of the Labour Group on Stroud District Council Katy Hofmann argues that Stroud is better off under Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) going into a smaller unitary authority so as to be better able to target deprivation and pursue economic growth under the wing of the West of England Combined Authority.
The purpose of local government reorganisation is to improve efficiencies of what we deliver across the District and County. Our focus should be on getting the best outcomes for residents of Stroud District and the wider community.
Residents have told us many times that it doesn’t matter who delivers what service as long as it’s done in a joined-up manner, efficiently and promptly.
The existing two-tier local government model slows down decision-making and delivery, leads to fragmented services, money wasted on duplication and makes it unclear who is responsible for what and where accountability lies.
If local government reorganisation is managed well, it will bring more joined up services and better value for residents.
What we desperately need in Stroud District, and indeed across the whole of Gloucestershire is …
- Health and social care working together so that integrated care can truly be provided through wraparound health plans;
- Joined up bus and train services bringing regular, reliable and affordable transport to the people of Stroud District and beyond;
- To get on with building the housing that is severely lacking – providing jobs and home security for our young people to enable them to live and work in the district they grew up in.
With this local government reorganisation we have real opportunity to face up to the issue of funding and areas of deprivation. So far one county-wide authority responsible for social care has tragically failed to target services on those who need them and to raise communities in areas such as the Forest of Dean and Gloucester City out of deprivation.
Evidence from previous reorganisations leads to the conclusion that two councils for the County, an East and a West, and disaggregating services accordingly, can lead to better outcomes if managed well.
The biggest prize for Gloucestershire lies in joining a Strategic Authority which will unlock massive new funding and powers for transport, health, planning and housing. The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is Stroud District Council’s strategic authority of choice, for both cultural and geographic reasons.
But a single huge Gloucestershire council, with getting on for 700k people, is a major barrier. It would be the largest authority in WECA, overshadowing Bristol City, and bring with it the biggest share of any vote.
Strong evidence suggests that WECA will only consider smaller authorities – so splitting Gloucestershire into smaller, more proportionate councils is the only realistic path to securing this powerful, lucrative partnership.