“Nobody asked for reorganisation and nobody wants it.” – Those were the words of the Wychavon leader as councillors voted to back what they deem to be the lesser of two evils in the county’s devolution shake up.
WYCHAVON councillors have unanimously backed splitting the county into a north and south division when local government is shaken up in the near future.
At a meeting on Wednesday (September 3), Wychavon representatives were asked to assess both options and settled on backing a south Worcestershire authority.
Under Government plans, Worcestershire County Council and the six district, borough, and city councils will be abolished on April 1, 2028.
They will be replaced by either one single council for Worcestershire running all services, or two councils – one for the North and one for the South – with each authority responsible for all services for its part of the county.
At a meeting on Wednesday (September 3), Wychavon representatives were asked to assess both options and settled on backing a south Worcestershire authority.
Although a report from consultants Mutual Ventures issued a report outlining significant savings in the event of one unitary authority for the entire county, Wychavon noted that a split county would deliver more effective democratic representation among other positives.
During the debate, councillors expressed frustration with the Government for imposing reorganisation on the area and giving little time to plan properly for the changes.
Concerns were raised about whether the proposed cost savings under a single unitary model were realistic, the impact on service quality and provision and Council Tax levels – which on average are lower in Wychavon, Worcester City and Malvern Hills.
A single council for Worcestershire would also mean there would be more than 6,000 residents per councillor, which it was felt would make elected representatives too remote from the people they served and may negatively impact relationships with parish and town councils.
Councillor Richard Morris, leader of Wychavon, said: “Nobody asked for reorganisation and nobody wants it. It’s being imposed on us by the Government. It will do little to solve the adult social care and children’s services crisis which needs national solutions instead of further government dithering.
“If we must have reorganisation, then the two-council option delivers on the very clear message given to us by the public – being local does matter and our residents want a council in future that continues to understand and meet their needs. Wychavon has always focused on that local delivery, and this must not be lost in any reorganisation.
“Exploring shared service arrangements for some of the larger services, such as adult social care, also provides a tremendous opportunity for genuine transformation so they deliver better value and outcomes for all our residents.”
The two-council option will now be developed in detail. Councillors will vote on the final proposal on November 19, before it is submitted to the Government by November 28.
Councils across the district have also cast their vote this week. Visit www.shapeworcestershire.org/ for more information.
