29-03-2025
Latest on whether Swindon joins other councils in the future
The apparent lack of enthusiasm of councils in Oxfordshire for Swindon to join them in a Mayoral Strategic Authority has not dented the confidence of Swindon Borough Council leader Jim Robbins, who thinks an agreement with councils along the M4 corridor is the best choice for the town.
The government has asked top-tier councils of all but the largest size to discuss making agreements to form Mayoral Strategic Authorities which will not supersede existing top-tier councils like Swindon but will have extra powers with regards to strategic transport and infrastructure and economic development.
Swindon council leaders are keen on a deal with Oxfordshire and Berkshire councils. Reflecting a need for development along the M4 corridor.
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But Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet agreed this week that: 'As the constituent member of any future Mayoral County Combined Authority, the cabinet's preferred geography for a Mayoral Strategic Authority is Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire."
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South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils have also said they'd prefer a strategic authority which includes Oxfordshire and Berkshire but not Swindon.
But Councillor Robbins says he still thinks that a M4 corridor deal is best for Swindon, and is confident that one can be achieved, not least because under the terms of the devolution deal, Oxfordshire councils will be re-organised into one unitary authority - similar to Swindon and Wiltshire councils.
He said: 'Swindon Borough Council have been fully engaged with devolution conversations with potential partners, as well as holding a number of conversations at the highest levels of Government, including at our meeting in Downing Street last week.
'We attended the third of these meetings with our friends from across the Thames Valley this week, a set of meetings that Swindon Borough Council initiated ahead of the government's white paper being published. The meeting was really positive and we are grateful to Reading Borough Council and the University of Reading for hosting.
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'We are very confident that we will be able to make the case to ministers that Swindon stands ready and willing to play its full part in the government's desire to boost growth in a new Mayoral Combined Authority and will make our submission when required to by government.
'The comments from some of the Oxfordshire District Councils are designed to talk to their particular areas, their desire to benefit from local government reorganisation and benefitting their political parties. In Swindon, we will remain relentlessly focused on the wider benefits of devolution and increased powers and funding that Swindon can benefit from.'
However, the deputy leader of Swindon Conservatives, Councillor Dale Heenan is critical, saying Cllr Robbins is guilty of over-confidence: 'Two secret summits have been held with councils to our East about a joint devolution deal but no details have been released about what the leadership of Swindon Borough Council has discussed or asked for.
"While Swindon Borough Council held an event in the House of Lords and saying how great it was, those same councils across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire agreed to work together, without Swindon. They have now written to the government saying so. Words on a page which everyone can read. It looks like key people are in denial.
"Swindon councillors urgently need to get together, agree how a devolution deal with government could benefit our town and villages, and then talk to all our neighbouring councils to find the best way to make it happen. Our neighbours are making decisions, time is running out."
Cllr Robbins said the meetings were not secret and were followed by press releases and added: 'I'm always happy to respond to Cllr Heenan's questions on devolution or any other topic either in person or via email, but his running to the papers catastrophising achieves little except to make him look ill-informed.'
