Breckland Council leader Sam Chapman-Allen fears devolution talks risk starting a ‘countdown to annihilation’
Breckland Council’s leader has weighed in on proposals for county elections to be postponed to pursue a devolution deal - which he is worried could start a “countdown to annihilation”.
Earlier today, West Norfolk Council leader Alistair Beales said that while he supports Norfolk County Council attempting to fast-track a deal to request to join the Devolution Priority Programme, he does not believe this should impact the upcoming May elections.
His Breckland Council counterpart Sam Chapman-Allen has now issued a similar statement - and he has also added that he does not believe a “large super distant” unitary authority is the answer.
This comes amid plans to scrap district authorities such as West Norfolk and Breckland - which covers the likes of Swaffham and Attleborough - and merge them with the county council to form new unitary authorities.
He said: “While I remain very supportive of the principles of devolution, the genuine transfers of power from Whitehall to local people, and the creation of a Combined Mayoral Authority, I do not support the arbitrary creation of large super distant unitary councils – particularly in areas like Norfolk or Suffolk.
“Norfolk and Suffolk are diverse counties, both covering urban, rural and coastal areas with a population of over 1.67million residents.
“Those residents deserve proper consultation and engagement on the future of any local government structures, and it is the duty of our councils working collaboratively, to consider what is best for our areas.
“I am gravely concerned that we risk sleepwalking into a situation where we have started the countdown to annihilation, without any real discussion or consideration about the implications for our communities, and no time being afforded to do things properly. We need changes which improve services for residents, not just enable cuts.
“As the Government have already said themselves, devolution should not be undermined by the complexities of reorganisation. No previous successful mayoral authority has been dependent on reorganisation to achieve.
“Effective reorganisation requires true collaboration with agreed principles that put residents at the centre and helps improve the services they receive.
“I would urge my colleagues in the county council, charged with making this decision alone, to think carefully. I ask them to challenge the Government about its priorities and get robust assurances about the implications of their decisions.
“Devolution should be first and foremost, structure and restructure should follow separately and only with proper consideration.”
On tomorrow’s county council meeting, at which members will be asked to vote on the possibility of election delays, Cllr Chapman-Allen added: “I do not understand the case for suspending our local elections, given this is being promoted to areas which have clear and agreed plans for reorganisation. There is no such plan for Norfolk.
“I am not afraid of change and have no intention of defending the status quo for the sake of it. However, we work in systems that have evolved over 50 years and it’s irresponsible to hash the next evolution of Local Government overnight.
“Any reorganisation needs to keep local government genuinely local, reflecting the geography and economy of a place, whilst preserving and strengthening democratic accountability and representation.
“I feel strongly that a super unitary council model for both Norfolk and Suffolk would diminish local representation and erode the identity of the local communities.
“I want to work jointly with our county council colleagues to agree how we move forward, recognising that any proposed changes to structures must be inclusive, transparent and fully engage those who live and work in our areas.”
