Issue - meetings

Report of the Leader of the Council

RESOLVED THAT:

a)    The allocation of £25,000 for the purpose of addressing Cheltenham Borough Council’s response to the expected publication of the Government’s Devolution and Recovery White Paper be agreed;

b)      The Chief Executive be authorised to enter in to appropriate legal or other documentation as necessary to implement a) above.

The Leader of the Council presented the report, emphasising that he did not feel it was the right time for national government to pursue local government reform. Although it was fair to say that the local government system was not perfect, he was concerned that pushing ahead with reforms now would not be wise, since the Covid recovery must be top of the agenda.

He added that power should continue to be devolved to local authorities, and suggested that previous governments had not done this enough. However, he stressed that if there were going to be changes, all options should be looked at and proper consultation must take place. A radical change of system, such as a move to being a unitary county authority, must not be imposed at short notice.

The government made a manifesto commitment in 2019 to devolution and reform, and planned to publish a White Paper in September 2020, which was delayed to an unknown later date. The uncertainty of this situation meant that CBC must be prepared for anything that may happen in relation to it. This report therefore set aside funding, if necessary, to look at options from a practical point of view.

The Cabinet Member Economy and Development agreed that now was not the time for a major reorganisation of how CBC operated, but that it made sense to be fully prepared for any future changes that may come.

The Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles asked about recent media coverage which had suggested that the St Paul’s ward was a Covid hotspot, causing significant concern for people in the area. The Leader responded that there was no reason for particular alarm in St Paul’s, and noted that the rise in figures could be mostly attributed to a minor outbreak on the university campus. It was important to stay vigilant, do what was necessary to reduce the spread of Covid, and to avoid unnecessarily alarming the public.

The Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment added that Cheltenham residents should be concerned about the possible imposition of a rushed reorganisation. Any reorganisation must be done the proper way, with proper consultation. He praised staff for their hard work during a uniquely tough time, and suggested that central government should not seek to impose unitary status on an authority where staff already had enough on their plate.

The Cabinet Member Finance added that it was important to be pragmatic about bringing things forward. Central government had been clear about wanting to take devolution forward, and although it was on hold due to Covid, it would be unwise not to at least make provision for possible future changes, regardless of when they take place. The Cabinet Member Housing agreed that central government should not be considering major reorganisation at this time, and stressed that any final decision should be made by local people rather than imposed on them.

The vote was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED THAT:

a)    The allocation of £25,000 for the purpose of addressing Cheltenham Borough Council’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5