Meeting: County Council (County Hall, Durham - Council Chamber - 01/08/2007 10:00:00 AM)
Item: A7 Unitary Local Government
Report of Chief Executive
Purpose of the Report
1 On 13 December 2006, the County Council agreed to make a submission to Government for a single unitary council for County Durham. This report informs Members of the outcome of the submission and recommends that the Council accepts the Government’s invitation to establish a unitary council for County Durham.
Background
2 On 26 October 2006, the Government published ‘Strong and Prosperous Communities’, the Local Government White Paper, which calls on councils in two-tier areas ‘to find new governance arrangements which overcome the risks of confusion, duplication and inefficiency between tiers and can meet the particular challenges faced by small districts with small budgets or tightly constrained boundaries.’
3 In that regard, the Government issued an invitation to councils to make proposals for future unitary structures and/or to pioneer, as pathfinders new two-tier models.
4 On 13 December 2006, the County Council agreed that it would respond to the invitation by making a submission for a single unitary council for County Durham, the detailed submission to be approved by Cabinet. The submission was subsequently agreed by Cabinet on 25 January 2007.
5 On 27 March 2007, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced that the submission was one of 16 out of 26 submitted, which were to proceed to consultation and further consideration.
6 Having taken into account the representations made and further information provided during the consultation period, the Secretary of State announced on 25 July 2007 that the County Council’s single unitary proposal is one of nine to be implemented, if and when the necessary legislation is enacted.
Recommendation
7 In deciding to make its unitary submission, the County Council took the view that unitary local government would be in the long-term interests of the people and communities we serve. The Council is therefore recommended to:
b) authorise me with the Leader and Deputy Leader to put the necessary arrangements in place and invite the district councils and other stakeholders to participate in the implementation arrangements. The detailed arrangements and resource implications would be the subject of future reports to Cabinet.
County Council, 13 December 2006, ‘ Local Government White Paper, Report of Mark Lloyd Chief Executive’
Cabinet, 25 January 2007, ‘Local Government White Paper - Update, Report of Chief Executive’.
Department of Communities and Local Government letter, 25 July 2007, ‘Proposals for future Unitary Structures’.
Attachments
Unitary Local Government County Council report 1 August 2007.pdf