Last month’s District Councils’ Network Annual Conference took place, of course, at a time of local government reorganisation, which is set to lead to the abolition of every district council.
So, was our conference a whinge-fest or a self-pity symposium?
Neither. On the contrary, DCN’s two days in Windsor were energetic, uplifting, forward-looking and bold.
This is a time of uncertainty and difficulty for all of us in local government.
While the English Devolution White Paper may be challenging, it does provide an opportunity to shake things up.
This is a chance to reconsider how best to support our communities and bring about growth, jobs, housing and to switch from responding to hardship to preventing it.
The mood among our 350-plus delegates was not to wallow in the mire. It was about making the best of the situation and using local government reorganisation (LGR) to transform local public services.
With this in mind, DCN commissioned Inner Circle Consulting to help us devise a vision for how LGR can be transformative.
Our ‘Growth, reform and trust’ report warns that too many regard LGR as a “short-term cost-saving exercise”, which is an insufficient response to stagnant growth, fiscal restraint, rising inequality, intergenerational poverty and loss of trust in institutions.
“At worst it will be a hugely costly and disruptive process that will simply create larger versions of semi-functional or dysfunctional arrangements that aren’t delivering for those that need it the most or for the nation as a whole,” the report says.
We’re anxious to use LGR to prioritise long-term, sustainable transformation over short-term fixes, moving away from “developing services that tackle only the manifestation of need, to build those that can alleviate the risk factors triggering it”.
The report says this can only be achieved through “thoughtful place-making and an intentionally place-based approach”.
The place-making aspect is key.
“Mega councils – particularly those covering whole counties – are too large to be responsive to the unique needs of local communities”
I remain firm in my belief that mega councils – particularly those covering whole counties – are too large to be responsive to the unique needs of local communities and to transform the ethos of services.
So, it was good to hear Jim McMahon, the Local Government Minister, indicate a change of approach at our annual conference.
The 500,000 average – as opposed to minimum – populations for new unitaries he predicted is, I believe, still too large, but it is a clear move in the right direction.
District councils want to work with our county and unitary council partners, other public bodies, local business and, in particular, our residents to rethink local government.
We don’t want to recreate the old, but instead build something new that maximises both our responsiveness to local challenges and our contribution to national challenges.
The fact that all areas submitted interim LGR proposals to the Government by its 21 March deadline demonstrates a willingness to be bold.
We want to collaborate. We must continue to show that we’re not working in the interests of districts or counties, but in those of our communities – our residents, who need to be at the heart of this.
We all want to make our little part of the world a better place.
- Find out more about the DCN’s report, ‘Growth, reform and trust: creating places that deliver the promise and potential of local government reform’