Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation:
What We've Heard So Far and Next Steps
We’ve been working hard to ensure parish and town councils are fully engaged in conversations around Gloucestershire’s Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and devolution agenda. Here’s a round-up of where things stand and what comes next.
Since our last update, the GAPTC Devolution Working Group – made up of 12 councils from across the county – met for the first time to discuss key concerns and priorities. The group identified the need for clear communications, a thorough understanding of potential funding challenges, and the importance of councils engaging from a position of strength. The group agreed to consult widely with the sector and provide regular updates as the process develops. (Minutes can be read here)
On 24 March, we hosted a well-attended Devolution Information Sharing Event, bringing together district, county, and parish colleagues, alongside presenters from the Place Model Workstream. The event aimed to unpack what LGR and devolution might mean for local councils and to start gathering your views.
Key takeaways from the Information Sharing Event
Scale of Change: The government’s White Paper sets out a move to Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and unitary councils, aiming for 1.5 million people per strategic authority and 500,000 per unitary. Gloucestershire’s seven councils are now exploring three potential models.
Neighbourhood Models: ‘Neighbourhoods’ of 20,000-50,000 people, made up of several parishes and other collaborative partners, like Primary Care Networks and the Police, are proposed within the unitary models. This raised concerns about rural areas being dominated by larger councils and about local priorities being lost in the mix.
Risks to Rural Areas: Strong concerns were voiced that rural communities could lose out, particularly where there are few or no paid staff to manage increased responsibilities. Several asked how parishes without councillors – like parish meetings and unparished areas – would be represented.
Funding Uncertainty: Many questioned how devolved services would be funded and whether parish and town councils would be left to increase precepts to cover new responsibilities.
Representation and Democratic Deficit: Participants highlighted the need to address co-option levels in town and parish councils and ensure future elections align with any new governance structures.
Next Steps and Engagement: There was general agreement that the sector must engage early and constructively to shape proposals. Suggestions included looking at models from other rural areas and engaging with the Rural Services Network to highlight potential risks.
The full presentation, recording of the event, and other resources are now available on our Devolution page.
What happens next? We are finalising a survey to gather input from all councils. This will explore what services or assets your council might be willing or able to take on and the support you’d need to do so. The survey will launch shortly, and we strongly encourage every council to participate.
The feedback from the event and the survey will be submitted to the Place Workstream and help inform the next phase of work. The GAPTC Devolution Working Group will develop an action plan based on this input and the insights highlighted at last night's event, setting out how we can support member councils through the process.
We know this is a complex and fast-moving agenda, but it is clear that parish and town councils will have a vital role to play. We remain committed to ensuring your voices are heard and will continue to update you as things progress.