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IN VIEW Special report by Ged Henderson
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NEW LOOK COUNTY REMAINS DIVIDED
The announcement Lancashire will be split into four new council areas under local government reorganisation (LGR) sparked reactions ranging from delight to disappointment – with a strong dose of fury thrown in.
Subject to parliamentary approval, the political map of the county will be redrawn, with four unitary authorities created, replacing the current 15.
The move has been described as the biggest change in local government in more than 50 years and will see the demise of Lancashire County Council.
Unsurprisingly, given the fragmented nature of the county and an inability to reach consensus when it comes to both council reorganisation and the path to devolution, the verdicts from our political leaders have been far from unanimous.
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Fylde’s Conservative MP Andrew Snowdon has been the most vociferous opponent, launching a petition calling on the government to scrap its plans to force Fylde and Wyre into what he describes as a new ‘mega council’ with Blackpool.
He declared: “I am furious the government is forcing Fylde and Wyre into a merger with Blackpool.
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“Residents have overwhelmingly told me they do not want this. Our councils have made their opposition clear and I have repeatedly taken that message directly to ministers. Yet the government has chosen to ignore us.
“Fylde and Wyre must not be used as cash cows to help pay for the £500m of debt the Labour Party has racked up running Blackpool Council.
“There are also serious consequences for housing and planning. Labour has already
doubled the number of homes it wants built in our area. Under this merger, decisions affecting our towns, villages and countryside would increasingly be dictated from Blackpool, putting even more of our green belt at risk.
“This plan appears to have the backing of our new prime minster Andy Burnham, but that does not mean we should simply accept it. I will fight it at every stage, but I need residents across Fylde and Wyre to stand with me.”
Blackpool’s Labour leader Lynn Williams expressed her disappointment with the new structure, saying: “It is hard to receive this decision with anything but sadness.” Although, in common with other council leaders in the county, she has given a commitment to make it work.
She said: “We know most people in Blackpool do not want this to happen. There is a real risk of losing Blackpool’s identity in reorganisation.
“Blackpool is the geographic centre of the new council and the biggest economic area, so I will now be working hard to ensure Blackpool voices are heard and can shape the future direction of the new authority.”
Fylde and Wyre councils have also registered their concerns following the decision.
Stephen Atkinson, Reform UK’s leader of the disappearing county council, was quickly out of the blocks to register his ‘serious concerns’ about the shake-up.
He said: “I have been clear from the outset I do not support the wholesale reorganisation of local government in Lancashire, particularly at the pace these changes are being taken forward.
“This is not a small administrative change. It involves abolishing existing councils, creating new organisations, restructuring services and asking staff to deliver major reform while
I have been clear from the outset I do not support the wholesale reorganisation of local
government in Lancashire, particularly at the pace these changes are being taken forward
“This outcome is not the best one to deliver services to people on the Fylde coast in my opinion. Delivering services to people either side of the River Wyre is not the best use of public money. However, we are public servants, and the decision has been made.
“Our duty now is to make sure that when the new councils come into force in 2028, they are set up with residents at the heart of them.
continuing to provide the services residents rely on every day.
“I also have serious concerns about the scale and complexity of delivering such a significant reorganisation. Bringing together 15 councils and creating four new authorities will be an unprecedented undertaking, requiring major changes to systems, services and staffing while maintaining day-to-day operations.
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