Runnymede Borough Council has welcomed the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s clarity on its views about local council reorganisation.
The ministry has made it clear there is no compulsion for proposals to change the current local government arrangements in areas like Surrey where borough councils providing some services, and the county council provides others.
Government has also said there is no need for structural change, but that any work going on should be based on:
- locally-led improvements, and
- locally-led proposals for any council restructuring, rather than Whitehall solutions being imposed.
Putting Residents First
The leaders of the 11 borough councils in Surrey, including Runnymede, have recently launched their ‘Putting Residents First’ campaign, working with KPMG to rethink how councils operate. The direction from government makes this work even more pertinent and timely.
The Leader of Runnymede Borough Council, Cllr Nick Prescot, has said the local councils will focus their work on solutions meeting the ministry’s direction, which means that an element of its original work – to explore unitary solutions – will be paused. The collection of data and decision making could be used in the future if required.
The Surrey Leaders group, which Cllr Prescot is chairman of, has invited Surrey County Council to join this campaign, which is working up ways of delivering reform, including joint working and closer collaboration.
Strong Local Relationships
This campaign utilises the benefits of Surrey’s existing borough and county council arrangement, building on strong local relationships and networks, at the same time as using boroughs’ ability to identify and respond quickly to local needs, as seen during the Covid-19 crisis.
Cllr Prescot said: “We welcome this recent direction provided by Government. We want to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the support and services our residents receive, in a way that respects and reflects the needs and differences of our many different communities and neighbourhoods.
“We have 11 districts and boroughs in Surrey and we believe it’s vital that decision making remains local, and democratic accountability between councillor and resident remains strong.
“Local government demands local expertise and we look forward to engaging with local residents, businesses and organisations in our work.
Partnership of Equals
He continued: “We would welcome Surrey County Council joining this important work so that all 12 councils in Surrey can work together in a partnership of equals for the benefit of our residents: Putting Residents First.”
The Putting Residents First campaign aims to give residents easier access to all council services, enabled by digital transformation and to ensure the future approach protects the democratic accountability.