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- “Another step forward” for new Unitary Authorities
“Another step forward” for new Unitary Authorities
| Published | 8 August 2008 |
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Local Government Minister John Healey has laid new regulations to smooth the progress of arrangements for new unitary authorities in seven areas across England.
The regulations remove many of the practical barriers to the creation of the nine new councils, helping to support and maintain momentum during the transition process.
The new unitary councils have pledged to streamline and improve the delivery of local services, cut red tape and make efficiency savings that can be redirected to reduce council tax or fund local improvements, as well as promoting greater community involvement.
The Transitional Arrangements Regulations will be key to achieving the last of these, giving the new councils full control over the creation of new parish councils, which will provide a local voice in the larger unitary councils. Responsibility for issues such as the preparation of Local Area Agreements will be transferred to the new councils, and provision made around electoral arrangements.
Local Government Minister John Healey said:
"No one underestimates the scale of the task those areas undergoing reorganisation will face over the next eight months and beyond. We in central government will continue to play our part in supporting implementation, through both legislation and helping to overcome front line challenges.
"These Regulations are another step forward - they will provide the means for people to get involved with and be heard by their council, and they will help to maintain the necessary momentum to ensure that transition to unitary status takes place smoothly and efficiently."
Notes to editors
1. These Regulations:
- transfer functions relating to community governance reviews - in particular the establishment of new parishes and parish councils - from predecessor to successor councils (a predecessor council is one that will be abolished on the reorganisation date and a successor council is one that will become the new unitary council on that date).
- make a successor council responsible for preparing a new Local Area Agreement for its area if directed to do so by the Secretary of State, and require it in doing so to have regard to its community strategy, or the community strategies prepared by the predecessor councils;
- ensure that, where a casual vacancy arises in a predecessor council (ie through the death, resignation, or disqualification of a councillor) within six months of the reorganisation date, then that council is not required to hold a by-election (doing so would be counter-productive because of the cost involved in arranging a by-election for a very short term of office); and,
- allow the successor councils for Cheshire East and Cheshire West & Chester (which are both newly elected shadow councils) to appoint a returning officer for the purposes of any by-elections it may need to hold between now and 1 April 2009.
2. The Regulations as laid on 7 August 2008 will come into force on 29 August 2008.
3. Further sets of regulations will be laid over the coming months dealing with other transitional matters, finance issues (including the preparations needed for the setting of council tax for the new unitary councils) and ceremonial matters.
4. Further details on the contents of the Regulations may be found in the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum, at www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si200821 (external link).
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