Devolution shake-up will be ‘just like Brexit’

As a follow-up to the Fears Gloucestershire councils shake-up will be ‘just like Brexit’ article here are some personal thoughts. I can't help thinking this post will get me into trouble! Hey ho. Read the Gloucester news centre article first. It'll set the scene. Thanks to Barbara Lawrence for posting it on Facebook and bringing it to my attention.

https://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk/fears-gloucestershire-councils-shake-up-will-be-just-like-brexit

Make no mistake, I think Westminster's devolution and planning reforms will be an absolute disaster for our community. I say 'Westminster' because I'm certain that the Conservatives would offer no alternative and I'm certain that they are rubbing their hands with glee.

This is something that is being done to our community. We have not asked for it. We have not been consulted on it.

I ask myself what problems are Westminster trying to solve? Overcoming inequality? Creating sustainable places? Delivering council homes? Providing sheltered accommodation? Early years family support? Active travel? Home insulation? Offering food vouchers? Lower household bills? Town centre regeneration? Providing public car parking? Providing public toilets? Strengthening community organisations? Delivering Greenways? Delivering cultural strategies? Employing Neighbourhood Wardens?

All these things need a tier of local Government embedded in and connected to the local community. Precisely the tier that Westminster is proposing to rip out and abolish. It will set us back decades, destroying complex interconnected networks of individuals, small groups and hyper local organisations.

Politically, it'll leave Stroud little more than a parish council. Places like Wotton, Dursley and Nailsworth will become even less relevant as power and money leaches further away, into the hands of even fewer locally elected representatives at Gloucester. I've witnessed the culture at GCC and like many other of my SDC colleagues we don't like it. I would say reform desperately needs to happen there first. It's pale, male and stale. They offer little for ward councillors like myself, so I'm guessing it's the end of the line for many us.

Further, there is no evidence that all these changes will even improve efficiency either. In fact articles I've read suggests the opposite.

It's sad to say, but everything points to these devolution changes being made solely to remove local decision making. Change to remove the perceived 'blockers' of Westminster's construction led growth agenda. But, I fear these changes will also serve to fatally undermine local democracy, leaving communities feeling even more remote and powerless, further eroding trust and confidence in politics. Where there is disillusionment populist 'patriotic alternatives' will take root and that really worries me.

Personally, I don't think SDC has done a bad job with its Local Plan. I've spent many years being critical of SDC for the state-aid funding of Merrywalks and the hefty investment in the canal. My view on the canal has mellowed somewhat over the years.

I think devolving much more power to communities like ours is actually what's needed. We are more than capable of understanding and managing the balance of land-use, food, homes, energy, infrastructure, nature and flood management in our locality. We don't need a celebrity mayors to achieve it either.

So, in a nutshell:- "Devolve power to communities not regions"

In the meantime however, I guess SDC will have to negotiate best possible arrangements for our communities, including Wotton. So, Catherine, as leader of the Council, is taking the right position, in order to negotiate. Otherwise the decision will be imposed on us regardless.

I'm sure that there will be lots of discussion about what happens to SDC's assets and things in the community that they fund and support like; car parks, toilets, community groups, neighbourhood wardens, The Keepers etc. etc. Obviously, along with the other ward councillors we'll do our best defend all these things until we hit the buffers at the end of the line.