MP warns of reorganisation disaster

The MP for Fylde has warned the creation of a single coastal council encompassing Blackpool would be “disastrous” for the wider area.

Andrew Snowden was speaking after the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed a group of Lancashire Labour MPs has called on the government to abolish the county’s 15 existing local authorities and replace them with just three or four much larger ones.

While the politicians pushing the plan – in a letter sent to Whitehall last week – did not suggest which areas should be merged, the move could lead to the creation of a new standalone ‘unitary’ authority for the whole of the Fylde coast and possibly also including Lancaster.

Mr. Snowden said the trio of councils currently covering the Fylde – Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde itself – are serving “very distinctive and different places”.

“Each has very different priorities, opportunities and challenges.

“Given the relative size of Blackpool, the work that Fylde and Wyre councils do to meet the needs of their areas would be slowly drained off to fill budget shortfalls and priorities in Blackpool – and some of our most important tourist destinations, greenbelt areas and strategic industry sites would receive less investment, servicing and support,” Mr. Snowden said.

The Conservative politician – the only Tory MP left in Lancashire after the summer’s general election – added that the new combined county authority (CCA), established to implement Lancashire’s devolution deal,  “needs time to bed in now, before any further changes are considered”.

His concerns over so-called “unitarisation” in Lancashire echo those expressed by Wyre Council leader Michael Vincent, who has said he fears residents in his area would effectively have to “bail out” neighbouring Blackpool from debt.

Responding to that claim, Blackpool Council’s Labour leader Lynn Williams said the authority was “solvent and secure”.

She added:  “In fact, we have £25m in reserves which I’m sure most people can agree is a solid financial position to be in.

“Like the majority of unitary councils up and down the country we spend a large part of our budget on vulnerable adults and children through our social care services. Those services are managed extremely well, we are proud to protect the most vulnerable in our society and will continue to do so in the most effective and cost efficient way possible.

“Blackpool Council has suffered the most severe cuts in government funding during the last 14 years. Despite these cuts, we have continued to invest in Blackpool – to create jobs, provide quality affordable housing and a better future for our community.”

The majority of Lancashire’s 12 Labour MPs signed the letter sent to the government calling for local authority reorganisation as part of a corresponding bid for a strengthened devolution deal, which would bring greater powers and cash to the county than the agreement struck with the last Conservative government – and which was approved by the new Labour administration after the general election.

Since the LDRS broke the story, both Blackpool South MP Chris Webb and Blackpool North and Fleetwood member Lorraine Beavers have confirmed they were amongst the signatories.

Ms. Beavers – whose patch includes a swathe of Wyre – told Radio Lancashire on Wednesday the current local government structure was “not working”.

“People need to know who they’re going to [for help] within local government – they don’t know who’s in charge of the roads…[or] the parks,” she said.

Also speaking to the station, Mr. Webb acknowledged that the situation in the Blackpool Council area was “different”, because it was already a unitary authority without Lancashire County Council sitting above it.

However, making a broader point on devolution, he said:  “The Prime Minister…wants a council of regions and nations with mayors…everywhere to devolve power finally from London into control of local people – and also moving [the] billions of pounds that stays in the South…up to the North.  That’s a great thing.”