Bedford Borough Council said it’s currently “looking at the implications” of the English Devolution: Power and Partnership white paper.
The English Devolution: Power and Partnership white paper was published on Monday (December 16).
While Bedford Borough Council wasn’t mentioned, the white paper does promote a shift towards larger unitary councils.
It said new unitary councils must be the “right size” to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.
For most areas this will mean “creating councils with a population of 500,000 or more”, but decisions will be on a “case-by-case basis”.
Bedford Borough Council was asked if it believed it could disappear through devolution.
A borough council spokesperson said: “The Devolution White Paper was published on Monday (16 December) and we are currently looking at the implications.
“The white paper deals with the establishment of new Strategic Authorities. We have put in an expression of interest outlining our interest in potential devolution arrangements but there is still a lot of detail to uncover.
“These discussions are at a very early stage and our focus will always be on ensuring that any future arrangements align with the best interests of people in Bedford borough.
“The White Paper also introduces full unitization of England.
“The focus is on two-tier areas and the creation of new unitary authorities,” they said.
A key aspect of the framework is the duty to produce a Spatial Development Strategy to guide development at a strategic level.
The borough council was asked if this meant it would cease to be a Local Planning Authority.
The spokesperson said: “In relation to Spatial Development Plans this is reintroducing spatial plans across larger areas (as has happened in the past).
“There are no proposals to change the Local Planning Authority responsibilities.
“The proposals are to work in a similar way to the role of the mayor in London,” they said.
The full white paper document can be found via the Gov.uk website here.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
