Local Council Devolution: Exploring Its Potential Benefits and Structure

Swindon: So, there’s this big talk about local council devolution, right? Basically, the idea is to get local councils to team up with their neighbors. This way, they can create larger areas that have a stronger say in local matters. It’s all about giving more power to these councils, especially in places outside the big cities.

The government is keen on rolling this out across England, but it’s not touching Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. They want these new strategic authorities to have at least 1.5 million people in their areas. It’s like forming a big family of councils that work together for the community.

These new authorities will handle important stuff like transport, housing, and even health services. But don’t worry, the usual tasks like running libraries and collecting bins will still be managed by the existing councils.

Now, you might be wondering if this is a merger. Not quite! Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Council will keep their current powers. The new authority will just have some extra powers that they don’t have now.

There’s also a chance that these new authorities could have directly elected mayors, similar to what you see in London or Greater Manchester. But there won’t be another elected body; it’ll be more like a committee made up of members from the existing councils.

However, there’s a bit of concern about how this might affect smaller councils. Some district councils could be at risk of being abolished. But don’t fret, Swindon and Wiltshire are safe since they’re unitary authorities, and their parish councils won’t be affected by these changes.

So, it’s a pretty interesting time for local governance in England, and it’ll be exciting to see how it all unfolds!