All 21 areas met deadline for submitting interim plans for reorganisation: McMahon

In a written ministerial statement, Jim McMahon claimed that this demonstrated “without doubt the ground-swell consensus from communities that change is overdue and needed”.

The minister also announced that £7.6m would be made available in the form of local government reorganisation proposal development contributions, to be split across the 21 areas.

In the statement, McMahon claimed that the reforms would mean “more accountable structures, making it much clearer for residents who they should look to on local issues, with fewer, but more empowered local political leaders, who can focus on delivering for residents.”

He added that council taxpayers would no longer pay “an inefficient two-tier premium”.

In the statement McMahon drilled down on what he said was “a guiding principle, not a hard target” of a population size of 500,000 or more for the new authorities, as set out in the English Devolution White Paper.

He said the Government understood there should be flexibility, “especially given our ambition to build out devolution alongside local government reorganisation”.

The minister continued: “The published guidance sets out that ‘there may be certain scenarios in which this 500,000 figure does not make sense for an area, including on devolution, and this rationale should be set out in a proposal.’ In discussions with individual councils, to parliamentarians, and in interviews given throughout the process, the government have reinforced this position to aid local discussions.

“Equally it may be decided that population sizes around this figure or greater than it are the best fit locally. Instead of presenting a top-down solution for each area, our starting point is to support and empower local leaders and to respect their knowledge, expertise and insight.”

On the reorganisation proposal development contributions, the minister said: “This is the first time that capacity funding has been made available for reorganisation proposals, recognising the priority that this government attaches to this. Further information will be provided on how this will be allocated and we intend to make payments as soon as possible.”

The LGA Hub will meanwhile host a central repository for practical advice and support.

McMahon stressed that the submission of interim plans was not a decision-point. “It is the next stage in the process and enables councils to engage with the government on the issues that matter locally and receive support to develop their full proposals. We expect local leaders to continue working collaboratively and proactively with each other, including by sharing information.”

Officials at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will follow up with the 21 areas to discuss their interim plans, provide feedback and understand the collaboration and information sharing arrangements.

The ministry will be speaking to Surrey as a priority in the coming days, the minister said, then with councils on the Devolution Priority Programme during April and other areas after the local government elections in May. For Surrey, the deadline for proposals is in May and for other areas later this year in September or November.

McMahon said: “My Department will consider these proposals against the criteria set out before consulting and taking a decision on which of those proposals will be taken forward and implemented. This is a statutory process – and affirmative legislation will be needed to establish new councils and abolish any of the predecessor councils.”

In his conclusion, the minister said: “I acknowledge this is a significant undertaking; the largest structural reform of local government in half a century and a fundamental part of our project to reform the British state, so that it delivers for working people.

“We need to push forward together and deliver these changes, so communities can see the benefits of simpler structures and so councils can deliver better value for money public services. Local leaders are central to our mission to deliver change for hard-working people in every corner of the country through our Plan for Change, and our councils are doing everything they can to stay afloat and provide for their communities day in, day out.”

The 21 areas are: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Derbyshire and Derby; Devon, Plymouth and Torbay; East Sussex and Brighton & Hove; Essex with Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock; Gloucestershire; Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton; Hertfordshire; Kent and Medway; Lancashire, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen; Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland; Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire; Norfolk; Nottinghamshire and Nottingham; Oxfordshire; Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent; Suffolk; Surrey; Warwickshire; West Sussex; and Worcestershire.