Unitary Update

Unitary Update
 
The new unitaries in Norfolk, Suffolk and Devon hang in the balance following a last-minute row between communities secretary, Hazel Blears, and the Boundary Committee, currently reviewing the three counties.

Last week, Ms Blears announced she was giving the committee six more weeks to make its final proposals.

But in her new accompanying guidance, she also raised questions about how the committee was evaluating unitary bids. In particular, she asked the committee to explain why it had not been judging the impact of such bids 'in aggregate' across an area, as set out in her guidance last February.

She adds: 'It is not clear that the committee is approaching the assessment of alternative proposals on this basis.'  Her example is where two proposed unitaries in a county might turn out to be more cost-effective than one unitary, if judged in aggregate rather than on their own. Her request, therefore, raises questions over the committee's current proposals for unitary counties in Devon and Norfolk, and gives renewed hope to the unitary bids from Exeter and Norwich city councils.

Norwich City chief executive, Laura McGillivray, said: 'The delay is helpful to our case in that it allows more time to respond to the financial analysis. The emphasis on evaluating bids on an aggregate basis will ensure the committee gives proper weight to two-unitary proposals in a county area.'

Norfolk CC chief executive, David White, told The MJ: 'I'm not convinced this is necessary at this late stage. We've found the process vigorous.'

The latest CLG circular makes meeting the 2010 timetable increasingly problematic. The original deadline for the Boundary Committee to present its proposals to ministers was the end of this month, but a spate of legal challenges has forced the CLG to extend the date to 13 February 2009. Ministers will then decide within six weeks, and place the orders before Parliament.

The decision followed a recent court challenge by Breckland DC to the Boundary Committee's consultation process, in which the judge ruled more time was needed. The timetable is complicated by the intervening general election, expected in May 2010. The Conservatives, although opposed to reorganisation, are unlikely to overturn legislation already in place.

However, if the orders creating new unitaries are not placed before Parliament by June 2009, they are unlikely to make the statute book in time.

But, as one council insider said: 'Realistically, the CLG will have to look for 2011 for implementation, or possibly even later.'

A Boundary Committee spokesman told LocalGov.co.uk : 'We can't take a view on what the Government will do. But the 2010 date was not an absolute deadline, more a desire. As regards the aggregate issue, we feel we have been paying attention to it.'

A CLG spokeswoman said: 'We will see what the Boundary Committee response is, and then decide a timetable for implementation.

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