COUNCILLORS in Worcester have voted in favour of Worcestershire to be governed by two separate authorities following the Government’s reorganisation process.
The Government wants the current arrangement – with some services delivered by Worcestershire County Council and others by local district and borough councils – to be replaced with unitary councils that provide all services.
Specialist consultants Mutual Ventures have been weighing up the pros and cons of having one unitary authority for the whole county or two – one serving the north of Worcestershire and another for the south.
A proposed southern authority would serve the districts of Worcester, Wychavon and Malvern, alongside a separate north Worcestershire council, which would serve Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest.
The consultants’ report says that a single Worcestershire unitary council would produce more savings.
However, there is evidence to show that larger councils can produce disadvantages in providing adult social care and children’s services.
The independent report also suggests that a two-unitary model, when compared to a single unitary, provides better effective democratic representation, better meets local needs and is informed by local views and has advantages in enabling effective community engagement and neighbourhood empowerment.
During a public consultation carried out by the consultants, 47.8 per cent of respondents favoured having separate councils for the north and south of Worcestershire and 28.7 per cent voted for a single unitary council for the whole county.
Worcester city councillors met at the Guildhall on Tuesday night (September 3) to discuss the consultants’ findings and voted in favour of having two authorities to serve Worcestershire.
City council leader Coun Lynn Denham said: “This is an opportunity for transformation, to do things differently and shape our future.
“This is about local choice, our decision on what works best for Worcester and Worcestershire.
“The Government is open to us making the local case about what is right for our geography, relationships with our neighbours and our population.
“A South Worcestershire authority would build on our existing partnership with neighbouring district councils.
“This decision by councillors will allow consultants to create a detailed proposal which we can put before the Government.”
A detailed final proposal will come to council for approval on November 25 and will then be submitted to the Government in time to meet the deadline of November 28.
Once the Government has approved the model for reorganising councils in Worcestershire, elections will be held in May 2027 for a “shadow” authority or authorities, which will guide the setting up of the new council structure.
The new unitary authority or authorities will then take over local services in April 2028.
Malvern Hills District Council has also voted in favour of the two-unitary model.
The councils in Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wychavon will be meeting this week to make their own choices from the two available options.
