Latest news with #unitarycouncils
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Options for Cambridgeshire's unitary councils announced
Three options for creating new unitary councils across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have been identified, council leaders announced. The news was made in response to a national government requirement to replace the current district, county and city councils with simpler unitary options identified included merging councils in a north-west and south-east grouping, a north and south grouping or east and west leaders said in a joint statement: "The three options each contain two new unitary councils that would in future cover the entire Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area and replace all existing local authorities." The statement was issued by the leaders at East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, Cambridge City Council and Peterborough City Council. It added: "As council leaders we are working collaboratively in the best interest of residents and businesses across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough."The government's reorganisation agenda has raised some challenging issues for us all which we have been working through collectively over the last few still have outstanding questions and issues which have yet to be resolved."However, we agree that there are currently three options that appear to be the most financially viable based on the government's criteria. These options are based on existing authority boundaries and are being further developed to be submitted to government by late November." Proposals for unitary councils From April 2028, rather than dealing with separate county, city, and district authorities, residents will access all services - including road maintenance, bin collections, education, planning, social housing, social care, and benefits support - through a unitary and town councils will not be affected and will continue to operate as they do now, serving local A would mean the first unitary council would include Peterborough City Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, and Fenland District Council. The second unitary council would include Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District CouncilProposal B would see Peterborough City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council and Huntingdonshire District Councils working as a unitary authority. Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council would form the otherProposal C would include Peterborough City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council and Fenland District Council as a combined council. This would leave Cambridge City Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council together. All of the unitary councils would have county council statement said each option has "different strengths and implications for services" and it encouraged resident, businesses and partner agencies to share their views through a consultation due to be launched next week."We also want to take this opportunity to reassure residents that services will not be affected," they added. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Surrey residents' view on unitary authorities has been published
A quarter of 558 residents who responded to an online panel said they backed creating two new councils in Surrey, while a third preferred having either three - or a single research was carried out by Surrey County Council (SCC) which has submitted plans to the government, along with Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council, for two new unitary opposition Residents' Association and Independents Group said the findings, published in an answer to a question from a councillor on 4 June, should have been shared with the public a letter to the local government minister, SCC's Conservative leader Tim Oliver said the data "lacked consensus". The government announced in December that the two-tier council system would be abolished, with areas also having elected borough and district councils in Surrey are backing a proposal for three unitary councils, while Crawley and Reigate & Banstead have also developed a plan which would see those two areas being per cent of the residents who took part in the SCC panel in February said they agreed that councils should have more powers and funding from central were also asked what outcomes they wanted from the changes, with the three top answers being: better value for money from councils when delivering services, clearer accountability and more financially resilient authorities. 'Open and transparent' Catherine Powell, leader of the Residents' Association and Independent Group at SCC, said the information from the panel showed higher support for three authorities."I'd like to see the full survey," she told BBC Radio Surrey."I'd like to see what questions were asked, what the answers to the questions were [and] exactly what percentage of people supported which…because that is open and transparent."In his letter, Oliver, who has previously criticised a consultation by the boroughs and districts, said the panel was "broadly representative of Surrey's population"."The overall data lacked consensus with 40% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with both two and three unitaries," he said."Therefore, our final plan includes the more in-depth and directive responses on preferred outcomes to local government reorganisation."He added that those responses had provided "a clearer understanding of what residents want… and this is what we have focused on addressing".In a statement to Parliament on 3 June, Jim McMahon, Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, said: "I am pleased to inform the House that we received proposals for unitary local government from councils in Surrey, and I will provide the House with a full update shortly."
