Warwickshire CC is set to proceed with talks about establishing a unitary authority following an overwhelming vote in favour by county members – amid Westminster controversy over local government restructure.
A motion seeking engagement with the county's 545,000 residents, other public sector bodies, business and central government was passed with 44 voting in favour, four abstentions and seven votes against.
The vote followed three hours of open debate in Shire Hall, Warwick, and included representations from Warwickshire's police and crime commissioner Ron Ball, the Federation of Small Businesses and several parish and town councillors.
A report provided to inform yesterday's meeting suggested a shift to unitary status could deliver £12m in annual savings as two upper-tier authorities or £17m as a single entity – potentially £68m over four years.
A move to restructure the authority to a unitary could also reduce average Band D council tax charges by £30 per year.
It could also reduce the number of councillors from 272 across six authorities – including North Warwickshire BC, Nuneaton BC, Rugby BC, Stratford-on-Avon DC and Warwick DC - to less than 100.
Cllr Izzi Secombe, leader of Warwickshire said: ‘The intention is to start an open and inclusive debate which will have at its core the interests of our citizens, and what makes sense to them, and the long-term viability of local government in Warwickshire.'
Recently Leicestershire CC issued a report from top-four consultancy firm EY indicating £31m savings could be generated annually through a shift to unitary status
But yesterday local government minister, Brandon Lewis, hit back at Labour Party policy proposals to permit a further round of unitarisation as ‘partisan' empire carving in county areas.
Mr Lewis said: ‘The Labour Party are in disarray on unitary local government restructuring, ruling it out one week and calling for it the next.'
‘By contrast, the Coalition Government is very clear that restructuring would be expensive, divisive and time-consuming, diverting time from improving frontline services and locally-led co-ordination,' Mr Lewis added.
His comments were made in response to the first major speech of shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Chris Leslie, which outlined how a future Labour Government would streamline local public services as part of a ‘zero-based' review of public spending.
He said the Government and Whitehall should do more to empower county councils like Warwickshire CC and Leicestershire CC realise the benefits of collaboration.
‘This should also include small district councils who are facing the greatest financial pressures of all,' he added.
‘In 2009 a series of local authority reorganisations brought together district and county councils and created new unitary bodies,' Mr Leslie said.
He cited the £25m savings achieved by Cornwall, Central Bedfordshire's £40m administrative efficiencies, Shropshire's £20m cost-cutting and Northumberland's £85m three-year savings from unitary status.
‘Other changes in Devon, Exeter and Norfolk were stopped in the pipeline but this Government stopped those in their tracks and are continuing to resist local authorities' proposals to unitarise,' Mr Leslie added.
