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More Local Government Reorganisation? No thank you

United not Unitary

Statement of Branch Executive - 20 Dec 06

We believe the proposal to create an expensive new unitary council for the city of Exeter is not in the best interests of its citizens nor the wider Devon community.

Independent analysis by respected academic Prof Michael Chisholm indicates that the cost of simply creating a new council in Exeter could be nearly £14 million, with every prospect that on-going costs would be increased. Prof Chisholm warns that it is unrealistic to suppose that a new council would generate financial savings.

To the financial cost must also be added the inevitable disruption caused by needlessly reorganising 80 per cent of the public's council services in Exeter, services which are currently provided by Devon County Council.

Removing Exeter from the heart of Devon would mean citizens bearing the full cost of those services rather than enjoying the support from countywide resources as they do now.

Right now Exeter is served by two high quality, nationally recognised Councils working well together. But creating a small unitary council and, as a result, a significantly reduced County Council will have a detrimental effect on professional training and development, and make it harder to recruit the best officers to help deliver good quality public services in the future.

That is why we welcome the resolution of UNISON's National Local Government Group Executive to engage with the Government and oppose the unnecessary creation of unitary councils.

We believe that providing the public with real value for money improvements will be best achieved by the County and City Councils building on their excellent record of working well together in partnership for the benefit of Exeter people and the local economy.

So let's not waste the public's money on an expensive new council they don't want, let's invest that money in the quality services they need.

Bids from Councils for Unitary or Joint working status need to be in by 25 January.

Branches of UNISON in Devon are getting together to work out a common view to lobby local councils on, at a meeting on 4 Jan 06.

Remember - the cost of any changes will be the responsibility of the affected local authorities and change may well lead to considerable staff reductions through externalization and paying for new structures.

This is probably as a good a place as any to remind members that this branch saw to it that the following motion passed at the 2006 nation UNISON's Local Government Service Group Conference:

Motion - Local Government Restructuring

Conference understands that a White Paper on local government restructuring will be published in the autumn 2006 for legislation to be implemented by 2008.

Conference believes that services in districts and counties in those areas affected will be subject to major disruption with severe cost implications and consequential impact on staff. Public statements so far indicate that government is seeking to reduce expenditure in local service provision by slimming down current working arrangements.

Conference is aware of the disruptions previously suffered in the restructuring of 1995/96 and the consequences on public service provision.

Conference calls upon the National Local Government Service Group Executive to:

Pay regard to the current activity by central government to achieve local government restructuring in areas where county and district councils operate a two-tier system, to a single unitary system

Engage with government to oppose such unnecessary changes

Consult through UNISON structures at local and regional level with county and district councils and branches on any implication on the range of services they provide

Involve all branches in the areas affected in the preparation of relevant responses

Carried