Councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council, writes that after 50 years, it is time for change for our local councils
The future of how we run local public services in Essex is undergoing a generational change to ensure there is better quality, faster responses and less cost to residents. Among these services are highways, housing, adult social care, children’s services, education, leisure services - the list goes on.
In the County Council area, all these are currently delivered by either your district council or the county council, in what is known as the two-tier system. It is a system that was set up 50 years ago in the 1970s. It works, but there is a great deal of duplication, leading to confusion as to who does what, which costs money and time.
Essex has a very complex model of local government with twelve Districts, one County and two Unitary councils. Like any other organisation, you would expect that your locally elected representatives to be looking at this model after 50 years to see if we can work in a more streamlined way, targeting your council tax money toward services, by reducing waste and using modern technology.
Under Government direction that is precisely what we are now doing in Essex. I am proud of this work and the way all colleagues of all political parties have come together with one common aim, which is what is best for you our residents and taxpayers.
As part of this work all councils in Essex have submitted a joint interim plan to Government setting out a high-level vision for the future of local councils in our great county.
What does this mean for residents and businesses? We want simpler, better councils, ‘unitary’ authorities which will run all local services, because this will mean a host of benefits.
Of course, there will be discussions, agreement and disagreement about how many councils we need and the areas they cover.
The art of the exercise will be striking the right balance between making sure we provide the services people rely on in the most affordable way, while retaining a sense of local identity, with our proud history and entrepreneurial brilliance.
The best place to begin is with the evidence, rather than any pre-conceived ideas about size or numbers. The evidence will provide the guiding light to take us to the right options.
This will lead us to the right number of councils, striking the correct balance between keeping services local and ensuring they are more effective, efficient and affordable. This work will continue over the coming months.
There will be concern about losing local identity if larger unitary councils are formed. I understand this completely and I have always argued for and would like to see local area committees which involve the local councillors from that area who will on your behalf as your representatives be able to deal with very local issues including planning applications. That is real localism which we currently do not have, and I think puts real power in the hands of you.
Local government will always be about making sure the voices of residents and business in our villages, towns and cities are heard. This will be a big focus in the detailed plans. Equally, the fundamental things which make where you live special won’t change.
The number and size of councils isn’t the only determining factor in this. We need to include a wide range of different factors in our planning, not just population and geography. Whether a council is successful or sustainable also depends on being able to afford and effectively run the key services that are there for you, but which put pressure on council finances, such as adult and children’s social care and highways.
Equally, ask most people what’s important to them about local government, and top of the list will certainly be ‘keeping council tax down.’ The pound in your pocket matters. It’s not our money we spend on services, it’s yours. In our case Essex County Council never takes more than it needs from you and I hope this principle is retained. The simple truth is, the more councils and councillors we have, the more things cost.
Ultimately this is about getting it right in the long-term. The plan we’ve sent to the government is testament to the strong partnership working between councils in Greater Essex and it has been no mean feat getting to this point in three months. But the thing that unites us all is doing what is right for the people we serve.
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