Possible new unitary structure could help prevent ‘losing local voices’ in reorganisation

A small group of councillors are looking at a governance model that they say has proved successful at the unitary Cornwall Council. It would involve a number of forums being set up that would allow councillors and community groups to informally discuss issues in their area – rather than at traditional council meetings.

Councillor Adam Brown is heading up a task and finish panel for the shadow unitary council, and says that while the proposals are not concrete, they could be put out for consultation.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “In Cornwall they have about 19 of them based on groups of adjoining divisions in council areas. They bring together local division members, parish councillors, community groups, BAME groups – and it’s a chance for large community areas to raise issues of local concern and discuss council performance. The feedback I’ve had from Cornwall is that they work very well in terms of getting people to engage with the council compared to the more formal council meetings.

“In my opinion it’s a really interesting model and is effective in replacing some of the localism that you might lose in a unitary transition.”

The three district councils in Northampton, Daventry and South Northamptonshire will all be replaced by the new West Northamptonshire Council. The county council will also be abolished, with the services of all of them delivered under one roof at the new unitary from April next year.

The existing councillors for all those authorities are now responsible for helping set up the constitution and the governance arrangements for the new authority. This was discussed at the latest shadow overview and scrutiny meeting on Tuesday (October 20).

Councillor Ken Ritchie asked: “Have there been any other views other than the council on this? I have spoken with some councillors in Cornwall and they reported that these were talking shops that didn’t really have a mandate for taking any action.”

But Councillor Brown responded: “We’ve taken a lot of feedback on the Cornish model from the Local Government Association and I have informal contacts with Cornwall myself through LGA training. The feedback I’ve had has been positive but I understand there is always a risk that meetings designed to get feedback can be seen as talking shops. So it’s important in considering a localised governance model that we ensure it’s correct for Northamptonshire. I believe it can be adapted to make people feel more engaged and that they feel their voice is being listened to.”