Devolution Latest Part 2 5th January
In the coming weeks Leaders and Officers of all District Councils in Gloucestershire will meet to begin creating a new Unitary authority and ending the existence of both The Forest of Dean District Council and Gloucestershire County Council.
This new Unitary Gloucestershire Council will be responsible for all the services currently covered by FODDC and GCC.
This realignment of local government is a directive of the Labour Government and will be implemented before the next General election.
It is creating a Supersized County-wide Council.
It will not be big enough however to take the next step ( as directed by the government ) of creating a Strategic Authority led by an elected Regional Mayor.
To take that step the new Unitary Gloucestershire Council will have to join with other unitary councils to ensure the population reaches its designated threshold to create a Regional Strategic Authority.
We didn't need to be losing this truly local representation but the elections in 2023 and the subsequent change of administrations meant the impetus for the districts to lead on devolution for Gloucestershire, led by Progressive Independents in the Forest of Dean and other districts,was lost.
Going forward, it is the role of ALL Forest of Dean Councillors to promote the interests of the people of the Forest of Dean as much as possible.
The Progressive Independents will be lobbying for the following :
FODDC immediately cease the proposed employment of new Climate and Non-essential officers and instead employs a strategic project manager on a 3-year fixed-term contract to deliver pipeline and funded projects that it can finish. Five Acres is a Council priority and it now needs a dedicated officer to ensure its delivery alongside other FODDC projects.
There seems little point in the FODDC spending money or making plans for the period to 2043 that can be changed by any new authority so it should suspend all activity on its proposed Local Plan.
A target date of May 2028 be agreed for the start of the new Gloucestershire Unitary Authority. This will allow a 3 year period to create the Unitary Authority and Stategic Authority that is being demanded.
When seeking partner Councils for a new Mayoral Strategic Authority, Gloucestershire must prioritise its Rural Districts such as The Forest of Dean, The Cotswolds, Stroud and Tewkesbury. Gloucestershire remains an essentially Rural County and it must avoid at all costs becoming an addition to a larger urban-centred Council such as Bristol or BAINES and instead look north and the creation of a Severn/Wye Authority alongside similarly Regional Counties in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire.
Rural Counties face very separate issues compared to Urban Counties and that must be a major consideration in the devolution process.
As it appears County Council elections are to be cancelled in May this year due to the creation of a new authority then it would seem appropriate that at the same time, District Council elections planned for May 2027 are also postponed.
Such an overriding authority must also commit to having satellite offices in each of the Gloucestershire Districts that the people of the district can gain access to.
It is sad in many ways to be witnessing the demise of the FODDC, in particular the representation that local people currently have will change massively.
It must be the people and the services they receive that are prioritised during devolution and the Progressive Independents will be stating that very clearly.