Issue - meetings

Report of the Leader – TO FOLLOW

Report of the Leader - to follow.

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the joint letter to be submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government found at Appendix 4 is approved;

2.    a preference is expressed for two unitary councils to be created in Gloucestershire and the interim submission included at Appendix 5 is approved, setting out an outline case to be appended separately to the joint letter alongside other interim proposals submitted by respective Gloucestershire councils;

3.    authority is delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader to work with the other six Gloucestershire councils to submit the joint letter and any associated separate appendices submitted by councils individually;

4.    that there is not alignment on the shape of local government in Gloucestershire is recognised by Cabinet, but a commitment to ongoing collaboration with other Gloucestershire Councils, stakeholders and MHCLG as the devolution and reorganisation process progresses is agreed, to ensure that we deliver the best outcomes for residents and businesses.

The Leader began her introduction by saying that the council faces a dilemma in many respects – to either step aside and allow local government reorganisation to be imposed on Cheltenham while we continue to focus on the day job, or to follow a proactive path and make a clear statement about what we believe is best for Cheltenham, our neighbourhoods and our families. She said local government reorganisation is a once-in-a-lifetime, 50-year event, and of such importance to the future of the borough that it is the duty of elected Members to choose the latter.

She said three proposals are being outlined at this interim stage, as set out in the report:

-       a single county-wide unitary authority;

-       two unitary authorities, one in the east and one in the west;

-       a Greater Gloucester model.

A joint covering letter signed by all the districts and the county council will be submitted to the government this week, with the supporting proposals submitted separately.    

She said CBC’s proposal for two unitary authorities – one made up of Gloucester City, Stroud and the Forest of Dean, the other combining Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and the Cotswolds - is pioneering and ambitious for Gloucestershire.  The two proposed councils will be the right shape and size to meet government assessment tests and the right scale to still be connected to residents and communities.  She thanked our five MPs, including Max Wilkinson, for sharing this preference for two councils to serve the county.

Moving forward, she said there is still a huge amount of work to be done, not least major consultation with residents and communities.  Not all councils are unified around CBC’s proposals, but she is convinced that these are right for Cheltenham and its residents, and that working collaboratively is the only thing to do. 

She ended by saying that whatever the government decides, we will all work to do what is right for Cheltenham and for Gloucestershire as a wider entity.

Members thanked the Leader and officers for their hard work, and supported the proposals as set out, with the following contributions:

-       the importance placed on having a local voice is welcome, and it is essential that a readable, accessible version of the documents is shared, so that everyone can understand what is being proposed;

-       two unitaries is a genuinely positive way forward; areas need to be the right size to achieve efficiency - particularly in licensing and planning - to meet local needs, and be informed by local views.  A single unitary cannot achieve this but two smaller unitaries can;

-       we already work across districts, for example with Ubico, demonstrating that we don’t have to form one single unitary in order to do that.  Putting the whole of Gloucestershire together in one unitary would not necessarily make savings or efficiencies, whereas two unitaries can achieve what each area wants while working towards bigger goals, growth and change in a positive way;

-       there are two main reasons to support  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5