Future of Welsh councils to be set out
31 January 2017, 09:17
A White Paper setting out how Welsh councils will work together to deliver some of their services is being unveiled by Local Government Secretary, Mark Drakeford.
It's out for consultation until the beginning of April and is the result of months of discussions between the Welsh Government, local authorities and others on how to strengthen council services in the face of future challenges.
It seeks views on proposals for mandatory regional working to deliver a range of services, address workforce issues, and implement electoral reform including allowing voting at 16. It also calls on members of the public to become active participants in local democracy and in the design and delivery of services.
Amongst the proposals are a mandatory economic development footprint that would also cover certain planning functions and transport.
Councils would have some flexibility over what footprint they use to share responsibilities for other mandated services including education improvement, social services, additional learning needs, public protection and promotion of the Welsh language.
Councillors would make up the membership of new, enhanced joint committees which would oversee these services and make decisions on behalf of their respective councils. Funding arrangements would work on the existing practice of pooled budgets.
The local government workforce is an essential part of these proposals and the Welsh Government will consider, through the Workforce Partnership Council, how to support the transition over to the new arrangements, using statutory guidance where necessary.
Councils would still have the option of merging under the new plans and, where there is local agreement for this, the Welsh Government would work with them to make it a reality.
The White Paper also calls for a different and more equal partnership between people and the public services they use. This would see the development of a new set of principles recognising people as the best experts in how to manage their own lives and putting in place small interventions earlier to resolve issues before they escalate further.
In line with the new proposals, the Cabinet Secretary also announced that he would be considering how the wider local government finance system could be reformed – ensuring a fairer and more sustainable system to support local authorities in the future.
Setting out the proposals for consultation, the Local Government Secretary said:
“This White Paper is not about change for change’s sake. Our councils are working against a backdrop of extraordinary austerity and some services are facing a great deal of pressure. Local government reform is essential if we’re to make these services stronger and more resilient to cope with the demands of the future.
The new regional arrangements will bring councils together to work more effectively in the interests of people and their communities."
The consultation will close on 11th April 2017.
