Agenda item

County Councillor Alan Vincent presented the report detailing the county council's proposed response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's consultation on locally led proposals for local government reorganisation in Cumbria and North Yorkshire, and moved the following motion, seconded by County Councillor Charlie Edwards:

The Government has set out 3 main tests that will form the basis of the considerations of the Secretary of State regarding Local Government reorganisation in Cumbria and North Yorkshire;

1. Whether it will improve Local Government services.

2. Whether there is a good deal of local support in the round for the proposal.

3. Whether the proposed new areas cover a credible geography.

Only 2 of the proposals for Cumbria meet test 3, the credible geography test, the Bay unitary and the single Cumbria unitary, the other 2 failing the population size test.

Of these 2 the Bay proposal fails 1 and 2.

Test 1 because there has been no detailed analysis of the service implications of its proposal, and there is no evidence of the legacy impact on the rest of Lancashire.

Test 2 because there has been no consultation with Lancashire (outside of Lancaster) on their views on the Bay proposal, and indeed no consultation with Lancaster residents based upon the essential information set out below.

It would therefore be inappropriate to support the Bay proposal  in the absence of a full analysis of any risk to vital services it might entail; without a full assessment of the detriment it might cause to people reliant on those services; without a full assessment of the cost implications on residents and businesses alike as well as the impact on historical and cultural services, unique to Lancashire and Lancaster in particular, especially as no Local Government reorganisation is planned for the rest of Lancashire.

In conclusion therefore based upon the above Lancashire County Council resolves that in the absence of the analysis and consultation required to meet the 3 Government tests, the only proposal that meets the Government tests is the single Cumbria proposal.

And further resolves that a copy of the Officer’s report also be submitted to Government. The County Council finally resolves that it has no comment to make upon the North Yorkshire proposals.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was CARRIED. It was therefore:

Resolved: - That:

The Government has set out 3 main tests that will form the basis of the considerations of the Secretary of State regarding Local Government reorganisation in Cumbria and North Yorkshire;

1. Whether it will improve Local Government services.

2. Whether there is a good deal of local support in the round for the proposal.

3. Whether the proposed new areas cover a credible geography.

Only 2 of the proposals for Cumbria meet test 3, the credible geography test, the Bay unitary and the single Cumbria unitary, the other 2 failing the population size test.

Of these 2 the Bay proposal fails 1 and 2.

Test 1 because there has been no detailed analysis of the service implications of its proposal, and there is no evidence of the legacy impact on the rest of Lancashire.

Test 2 because there has been no consultation with Lancashire (outside of Lancaster) on their views on the Bay proposal, and indeed no consultation with Lancaster residents based upon the essential information set out below.

It would therefore be inappropriate to support the Bay proposal  in the absence of a full analysis of any risk to vital services it might entail; without a full assessment of the detriment it might cause to people reliant on those services; without a full assessment of the cost implications on residents and businesses alike as well as the impact on historical and cultural services, unique to Lancashire and Lancaster in particular, especially as no Local Government reorganisation is planned for the rest of Lancashire.

In conclusion therefore based upon the above Lancashire County Council resolves that in the absence of the analysis and consultation required to meet the 3 Government tests, the only proposal that meets the Government tests is the single Cumbria proposal.

And further resolves that a copy of the Officer’s report also be submitted to Government. The County Council finally resolves that it has no comment to make upon the North Yorkshire proposals.