Concerns arise that a new unitary council could jeopardize the Greater Cambridge local plan, forcing a costly restart and impacting local growth.
Greater Cambridge: The leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council has raised a big concern. If a new, large unitary council is formed, the local plan might be scrapped.
Councillor Bridget Smith, from the Liberal Democrats, shared her worries during a recent meeting with MPs. She talked about the possible negative effects of the government’s devolution plans.
Last year, the government announced a “devolution revolution.” This includes giving more power to elected Mayors and creating new strategic authorities.
The government’s White Paper suggests reorganizing local government. This means creating new unitary councils in areas with both county and district councils.
The plan states that new councils should ideally serve populations of 500,000 or more. However, there could be exceptions based on local needs.
Cllr Smith noted that some services are cheaper to deliver on a larger scale. But she warned that creating councils for such large populations could be risky.
She mentioned her work on a local plan with Cambridge City Council, which has taken six years and cost millions. If they merge with another council to reach 500,000 people, they might have to start the plan from scratch.
This could seriously affect the government’s goals for growth in key industries, like bio-med and knowledge sectors, due to the lack of a local plan.
Cllr Smith hopes the government will consider these unintended consequences. She understands the need for reorganization but wants to advocate for smaller councils that keep local connections strong.
She believes maintaining these connections is crucial for making housing plans acceptable to residents and meeting business needs. Large councils could lose that local touch.
