Councils Under Threat

The government has announced the biggest shake-up in local councils for half a century – but Kent’s future direction is far from clear.

The English Devolution White Paper launched this afternoon outlines new structures which could see a new mayor for the county and the abolition of all 12 borough and district councils.

These could be replaced by a small number of much larger unitary authorities reporting to the mayor.

The document does not mention any county or region by name but a graphic shows the loss of second-tier councils.

Leaders such as Medway Council’s Vince Maple and Kent County Council’s Roger Gough, as well as those from the dozen second-tier authorities, will be invited to be part of a wide-ranging consultation.

They will make submissions to the government in January detailing how they see the best way to proceed.

The local government minister Jim McMahon told the House of Commons county councils should assume next May’s elections are to take place, unless they state a desire to press ahead with immediate reforms.

There is no time-frame set in the document, but a number of areas will join the “devolution priority programme” which could have elected mayors in place by May 2026.

It was launched in Leeds today by Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, (pictured below) but some of the White Paper was leaked in advance.

Mrs Rayner said the new system will allow for multi-year funding settlements – which councils have been calling for – and less interference from Whitehall.

The government argues that devolution is the “key way” towards economic growth, puts politics “back in the service of working people” and more money in their pockets.

“It will re-light the fire in our great regions,” said Mrs Rayner.

In a joint statement the leaders of Kent County Council, Medway Council, and the district and borough councils of Kent said: “We will be carefully considering the detail in the government’s plans.

“All 14 principal councils in Kent have made it clear to the Deputy Prime Minister that we want to work closely together in partnership, and with the government, to shape an innovative and comprehensive devolution deal for Kent and Medway that works for our local communities.

“Our priority now will be to ensure the framework and additional powers work in the best interests of residents and businesses across Kent and Medway, with a focus on improving economic, environmental, and social prosperity whilst respecting the needs and desires of local people.

“We will be working collaboratively with our partners across the public sector to shape the plans and proposals to ensure we continue to provide high-quality and greatly valued services for our residents, respecting the history and communities of Kent residents.”

Green Party leader of Maidstone council, Cllr Stuart Jeffery said the White Paper was “what we expected” but said he would look at the benefits of not only the mayoral system but council reform.

He joked: “If I am a turkey, why would I vote for Christmas? We need to make the best of something that is the centralisation of power which, to me, goes against the concept of devolution.

“It’s putting power into the hands of one person but I would welcome more money coming into Kent.”

Cllr Jeffery said he would work with other council leaders in Kent to get the best deal for the people of his borough.

Mrs Rayner said: “Our English Devolution White Paper will be a turning point when we finally see communities, people and places across England begin to take back control over the things that matter to them.

“When our proud towns and cities are once again given the powers they need to drive growth and raise living standards as part of our Plan for Change.

“It’s a plan for putting more money in people’s pockets, putting politics back in the service of working people and a plan for stability, investment and reform, not chaos, austerity and decline, that will deliver a decade of national renewal.

“Devolution will no longer be agreed at the whim of a minister in Whitehall, but embedded in the fabric of the country, becoming the default position of government.”

Leader of the Liberal Democrats at KCC, Antony Hook (pictured below) said: “If the government proposes a mayor for Kent, I would wholly oppose it.

“Power is best invested in a group – not in one individual who can make bad decisions but can’t be removed.

“I will work with others of any party to resist a mayor being imposed.”

The new system will help to deliver on the government’s mission to grow the economy and deliver 1.5 million new homes across the country.

There will be plans for the new powers for mayors across strategic planning – giving them the ability to shape infrastructure and development projects across areas, housing, transport and skills.

Mrs Rayner said more powers would be pushed out of Westminster and into the “hands of people with skin in the game, who know their areas best”.

The White Paper promises that priorities are set locally and policies tailored to “needs and circumstances”.

The paper says there can be “a statutory role for mayors in governing, managing, planning, and developing the rail network”.

It aims to provide “easier commutes through a single transport system, with pay-as-you-go fares and joined-up services to access more opportunities faster”.

Mayors will have greater powers in planning development to speed up the delivery of new housing.

The document says skills and employment would be more relevant to local jobs; new houses matched with fresh infrastructure and that public services should communicate and support people’s needs.

Although the new “strategic authorities” can be structured not to have a mayor, the White Paper says a mayoral system remains “our ambition”.

Depending on which kind of authority Kent eventually becomes, the function of the Police and Crime Commissioner may fall under the umbrella of the mayor’s office.

Kent commissioner Matthew Scott said: “We’ll have to wait and see. We have so little detail of how it would work in practice at this stage.”

Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), said that devolution is “a process not an event”.

He added: “From a local government perspective, the White Paper holds out promise but also creates risk.

“We need to ensure that the coming months are not just spent in fractious debate about the appropriate size for unitary councils.

“Our agenda cannot just be about shuffling existing powers and functions between different sized units of government. This must be about genuine added value and better outcomes for communities whatever the structures we end up with.”

Mr Carr-West warned: “Devolution on its own will not transform public services or fix the financial foundations of local government. We need to see all these agendas as a single piece of thinking and we need to ensure that no one of them holds up the others.”