Government Overhaul of Local Councils

Hello everyone. Firstly, I hope you have all had a peaceful Christmas with family and friends and I wish you a very happy new year.

Local Council Update: What’s Happening?

I wanted to keep you in the loop about some substantial changes coming down the road, and what it might mean for our community.

Big News: Government Overhaul of Local Councils

The Labour government has released a white paper on devolution that will shake up how local government is structured1. In summary:

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Goodbye Two-Tier Systems? The plan is to get rid of two-tier council systems (like counties and districts) and create unitary councils.

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Bigger is Better (Or is it?): These new unitary councils will need to cover a population of 500,000 or more. This means that we will likely have to merge with Telford and Wrekin.

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Why? The government thinks this will lead to better services, save money, and make councils more accountable. They say it will cut down on duplication, reduce the number of politicians, and streamline services. The downside is that there would be less local representation: your councillors may not necessarily live in or near your area. We may also become liable for existing Telford debts.

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More Power to Mayors: Alongside this, there is a push to create combined authorities, led by an elected mayor. This mayor could also take on the role of Police and Crime Commissioner and Fire Chief, and even chair the Integrated Care Board. Again, power would be in the hands of fewer individuals.

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When will this happen? The government is planning to issue invitations to councils in two-tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries in January. New unitary councils could be in place by 2027 or 2028. The government is asking for interim plans by March 2025 and full proposals by May or Autumn 2025.

What Does this Mean for Us?

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Reorganization: Our council will need to merge with others to reach that 500,000 population mark. This could mean a lot of changes to local services.

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Community Voice: The government says they want stronger community involvement when these reorganizations happen. They plan to strengthen the relationship between town/parish councils and the main local authorities.

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Mayoral Power: A new mayor could have significant control over things like planning, transport, and investment.

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Council Tax: There’s concern that these changes could lead to higher council taxes to pay for the new structures. Labour mayors have a track record of raising council tax, although Conservative mayors have cut it.

Planning Changes

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Local Plans: There are changes to planning too, with a push for a committee or board to make decisions on spatial development at a regional level. Also, it looks like most planning applications could be handled by officers, with less input from local planning committees.

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Housing Targets: Our housing targets are set to increase significantly from 1073 to 199419.

What We are Doing About It

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Working Together: It is important we stick together during these changes. We need to make sure our voices are heard.

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Demanding Answers: We are attending meetings and asking questions to get clarity on the plans.

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Fighting for Local Control: We believe any changes should be locally led, with input from residents.

Other Local News

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Road Closures: There are some upcoming road closures that may affect you.

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The M54 will have full weekend closures starting at the end of February 2025 for resurfacing work between junctions 2 and 425. There will also be overnight closures on the Thursdays before each weekend closure25. Diversions will be in place via Castle Farm Way, A5 Watling Street, A449 Stafford Road, and A41 Newport Road.

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The Wyke in Shifnal will have a road closure on 6th January 2025 for up to three days for Severn Trent Water repairs.

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Park Lane in Shifnal will be closed from 17th February 2025 to 19th February 2025 for Severn Trent Water work.

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Upton Lane in Shifnal will be closed on 28th January 2025 for National Grid tree trimming.

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Hem Lane in Kemberton will be closed on 23rd January 2025 for National Grid tree trimming.

Get Involved!

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Please reach out with your comments on these issues so that we can make sure your voice is heard.

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We will keep you posted as we know more.

Thanks,

Ed Bird, Shropshire Councillor for Shifnal South and Cosford and Shifnal Town Councillor.