Our council leader, Councillor Gareth Williams, has welcomed the government’s proposals to give local authorities more control over the big decisions that affect their areas, as part of its devolution programme.
This follows Hampshire County Council’s decision last week to ask the government to be included in its priority programme for devolution, along with Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils and the Isle of Wight. If approved, this would create one large strategic authority for the whole of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, led by an elected mayor, with greater control over important areas for the region, such as economic growth, transport planning, infrastructure investment and skills development. Hampshire has also asked to postpone the county council elections planned for this May.
Alongside its devolution programme, the government has said it also expects to see wider local government reorganisation over time, with district councils, such as Rushmoor Borough Council, joining forces with others to create larger, unitary councils. As well as providing their current services, they would also then take over county council services, such as highway maintenance, adult social care, and children’s services. The government has told us that it will be writing to us this month to give us more details, so we will keep you updated.
Councillor Williams said: “I welcome the proposals from central government to give more local control over vital service areas through greater devolution, and I am pleased that colleagues at Hampshire County Council and the Solent authorities wish to proceed at pace.
“I await further details on local government reorganisation later this month, but I am keen to make sure that any proposals for change include the views of those that live, work and volunteer in Aldershot and Farnborough. I will make the case strongly that any new structure must allow for the decisions that matter for our area to be taken as locally as possible.”
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