West Country Councils Poised for Major Governance Overhaul

The governance framework of the West Country is on the verge of its most substantial alteration in half a century. District councils in Gloucestershire are slated for abolition, with a single, powerful council instead taking charge of all the county’s services. Regional mayors are also set to be introduced across all areas, with one potentially assuming leadership of a new Wessex authority. These initiatives form part of extensive reforms for England, as announced by the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner. The impact of these changes is most significant in Gloucestershire, as it is one of a diminishing number of counties that still operates with a two-tier system of local government. Several established entities, specifically the district councils of Stroud, Cotswold, Tewkesbury, the Forest of Dean, Cheltenham, and Gloucester, are scheduled to merge with the county council. This development mirrors events that took place in Somerset in April 2023. The stated objectives were to simplify processes for local residents and to generate millions of pounds in savings. However, the Liberal Democrat-run Somerset Council has subsequently encountered significant financial difficulties. This situation has provided grounds for scepticism, notably from Joe Harris, the Lib Dem leader of Cotswold District Council. He stated, “The example in Somerset, where they’re having real challenges now with their financial position, just demonstrates that it’s not the silver bullet that everybody thinks.” He further added, “We’re willing to engage with this, but it has to be right.” A change anticipated for many more locations is the widespread implementation of metro mayors. Presently, the region’s sole metro mayor is Dan Norris, who presides over the West of England Combined Authority. He collaborates with the council leaders representing Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset. These newly established mayoral positions could potentially oversee even larger geographical territories. The councils of Wiltshire, Dorset, and Somerset have collaborated to put forward a proposal for a shared mayor for an entity they aspire to designate as Wessex. Concurrently, the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), under the leadership of Dan Norris, has encountered a setback. While other metro-mayors were present alongside the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner when she announced their forthcoming enhanced powers, WECA is set to be excluded from these provisions. Public disagreements with council leaders and internal disputes with senior staff resulted in the government placing the authority under special measures, leading to its exclusion. The process of resolving these issues and commencing the restructuring of local government across the West Country is anticipated to span several additional months.