Local Government Reorganisation bore

Sorry. I’m becoming a Local Government Reorganisation bore. In my defence I’m having to spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with the wretched process. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is. Meetings with the biggest movers and shakers in Devon descending into a puerile game of ‘Diplomacy’ drawing lines on maps. We could be spending our time actually coming up with ambitious and constructive plans on how to deliver services better. Instead, we are left disputing who should have which asset, working within arbitrary numbers and boundaries set by central government.

It's meant to be about devolution and more efficient local government. It feels more like a social experiment from a government just trying to do something, because they can. It reminds me of those people who always appear busy but are actually doing nothing at all. The last thing it is about is our local people and communities. I suppose the clue was they never told us and certainly never asked you what your thoughts were.

Bitten off more than they can chew

There is a glimmer of hope common sense might prevail, more by luck than judgement. The government finds itself without the capacity to deal with all that mass LGR entails. There are already signs and signals things may be delayed – thank goodness. As I’ve said before we can deliver the savings and efficiencies they are seeking, just let us get on with it. As it stands LGR is going to cost a minimum of £50 million for Devon with no guarantee anything will be better value or improved. Indeed, if our near neighbours are anything to go by, the exact opposite.

Initial proposals are due 21st March. I’m hoping we will then start to get some clarity, not least on timescales. It also gives Devon the opportunity explain how LGR can be delivered by a much more measured and beneficial process. Senior officers can be shared between authorities, services integrated as and when contracts end, and software synchronised in the timely manner as updates were planned. It will also give us the opportunity to work out exactly which services and decisions should be delivered at what level. The government’s cliff edge approach is horrendously expensive and there’s no guarantee it will work.

Attack on democracy

Devon County elections are going ahead in May and rightly so. The way government has rather nonchalantly cancelled elections in other large areas of the country worries me. Millions of people have been denied their opportunity to vote. The attempt by the conservative administration at Devon County to do the same and cancel them here was a disgrace. It was an unholy alliance of politicians preventing the electorate casting judgement. It was and is an attack on democracy. How ironic that many of those councillors who voted to cancel the elections will be putting themselves forward to fight them.

At the same time of all this chaos, the government is looking to change the way planning applications are decided. It’s only consultation at this stage but the removal of democratically elected representatives from the decision-making process can’t be right. Many decisions are taken on subjective matters such as visual impact or design. Why does government think council officers are best placed to make those judgement calls rather than elected local councillors. It’s being dressed up as another way to achieve the magic 1.5 million new houses. What utter nonsense. With 1000s of planning applications approved but not built, it’s the developers worried about their profit margins who are to blame. The planning system might not be perfect but to remove democratic accountability trying to achieve the unachievable is just plain wrong.