Chelmsford City Council's statement on the English Devolution White Paper

This week, the Government published its English Devolution White Paper, setting out its proposals for devolution and changes to local government.

Cllr Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford City Council said:

"As the White Paper acknowledges, England is one of the most centralised countries in the world, with most power at national level. We welcome the Government’s ambition to change this. The public is often puzzled about which council is responsible for what, and devolution and reorganisation could bring improvements for our residents. But there is a real danger of throwing the baby out with the bath water if we rush to change without listening to all areas and councils affected by these proposals.

"The Government's list of proposed powers for Strategic Authorities risks taking powers away from local councils if not properly thought through, which seems the opposite of what’s intended. The big test for any devolution proposal is whether it will help us address our current, big challenges: homelessness, special needs support for children and adult social care.

"It’s vital that local government stays local. Councils need to be embedded in their communities, not remote and unaccountable. That means any new councils must not be too big or we risk alienating ourselves from the residents we serve.

"By throwing the whole system up in the air, the Government could do away with the good bits as well as the bad bits. Our recent Corporate Peer Challenge said that Chelmsford City Council is doing great work, it punches above its weight and has the ambition of a unitary authority. If we rush into change, we may lose the excellent work that many district councils such as Chelmsford are doing.

"We will do all we can to ensure the best possible services for local residents, whatever new structures come about, collaborating with our partners and other Essex authorities, and getting on with delivering the services that we know make a difference to people’s lives."

Councillor Stephen Robinson, Leader, Chelmsford City Council