The Government recently confirmed that the three upper tier councils in Greater Essex (Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council and Thurrock Council) will be part of their devolution priority programme. This will also lead to the establishment of new all-purpose ‘unitary’ authorities, replacing all existing councils.
And this week is another significant step forward in our journey to unlocking the enormous opportunities that devolution will bring to our county.
What is devolution all about?
At the heart of it is the process of transferring powers, responsibilities and funding from the national government to local or regional government.
Devolution in Essex would mean a directly-elected Mayor, and a new Mayoral Combined County Authority, covering the whole of Greater Essex, including Southend and Thurrock.
Devolved powers can include areas such as transport, education, housing, healthcare and the economy. The exact powers vary depending on agreements between national and local governments.
It means decision-making about these areas can be made closer to the people, communities and businesses they affect. It would mean decisions better reflect local needs and priorities.
In a nutshell – it means a Mayor who will stand up for Essex, nationally and internationally, at home and abroad, with the power to influence, decide and invest billions in better roads and better buses, better jobs and better homes, better towns, cities and villages, right across our great county.
This is an exciting point in our county’s history and all residents and businesses can now have their say through the Government’s consultation.
I've spoken before about the benefits of devolution, alongside and simpler council structures. With devolution, councils will have greater power to make real changes at a local level. An elected mayor will be able to direct money where it is most needed and attract businesses to Essex from across the UK and the world. This Mayor will be elected by and accountable to you.
Local government reorganisation, which is happening alongside devolution, is an opportunity to rethink how we work. While all tiers of local government work incredibly hard for the people they serve, we know there's a lot of duplication. The current system is also confusing - most people don’t know which council provides which service. By streamlining into fewer, smaller unitary councils, we can end the duplications and confusion and deliver even better services and greater value to Essex residents and businesses.
This is a priority for us and we know it's important to you too – we never forget it’s tax-payer’s money we’re spending.
As we look to move forward with plans, I think it’s important to pause and reflect on this momentous step for Essex. This is the first significant change to local government in 50 years, and it means our great county will become even greater in the future. I look forward to keeping you updated. In the meantime, you can have your say on devolution via the government’s consultation.
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