A New Single Unitary Council for Cumbria
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A New Single Unitary Council for Cumbria many voices, one vision One Cumbria - Many Voices, One Vision One Cumbria - Many Voices, One Vision Cumbria County Council’s submission to the Boundary Committee The Council believes that a Contents single unitary authority for • Introduction . 3. • Vision and Executive Summary . 4. Cumbria is the only model • Delivering the Vision . 6. • Characterising the Needs of Cumbria . 8. which can deliver any prospect • A Single New Unitary Authority for Cumbria of quality services, efficiency Making Cumbria's Voice Heard . 14 Meeting Local Needs - Community Leadership . 18 savings and significant influence Strengthening Strategic Capacity . 22 on the regional agenda. Improving Performance . 28 • One Cumbria - The Financial Case . .32 . County Council Resolution, 23rd January 2003 • One Cumbria - One Council . 34. Rex Toft Mike Ash This submission gives clear expression to the nature and style that the new Authority should adopt and to Leader of Cumbria Deputy Leader of County Council Cumbria County Council the critical issues facing it. However, it does not presume to design either the political or management structures of the new Cumbria Unitary Council. Those will be matters for the new Council to determine following consultation and the decision of the Secretary of State. 2 September 2003 3 One Cumbria - Many Voices, One Vision One Cumbria - Many Voices, One Vision The Executive Summary Our vision for the new A Clear Vision - focused on Cumbria's future needs Cumbria represents a unique challenge for Even as a single unitary, the new authority will have a unitary local authority: effective and efficient local government. smaller population than many others in the UK. We This submission demonstrates a compelling, must not reduce council size to a level where the best evidence-based case for choosing the most politicians and officers are not attracted to work for it. effective and economic response to that a powerful force for the • Strategic capacity… by generating sufficient challenge. It backs up a vision that is founded critical mass to address complex service development, upon a realistic mix of experience and procurement and modernisation issues such as people and businesses ambition. Louis Victory strategic service partnerships, e-Government and Chief Executive of We believe that this vision is the only viable sub-regional economic regeneration. of Cumbria Cumbria County Council option to deliver on these issues: Cumbria’s recent experience with major innovations • Community Leadership… by giving Cumbria’s demonstrates that a sufficiently strategic approach is We see one powerful new authority that makes a difference, here diverse communities the weight they need to influence essential to deliver effective modernisation. Only a regional and national policy makers. single unitary authority can provide the energy, expertise and influence which are needed. in Cumbria, across the region, and nationally. We also see that authority Only a single unitary authority can provide the necessary leadership that Cumbria demonstrated • Simple, effective and accountable local delivering the best local services and providing best value year on year. during foot-and-mouth, including the development of government… by ensuring a single point of a nationally regarded rural regeneration agenda. customer contact and guaranteed high standards of service for all local authority functions across • Community Engagement… by providing the level The new authority will be open and accessible. It will enable Cumbrians Cumbria. of organisational support for delegated decision to easily influence, shape and make use of all local services. making at a local level which only a single unitary for Only a single unitary authority will have the capacity Cumbria could offer. to deliver such standards. Only a single unitary will build on Cumbria’s national • A smooth transition to unitary Local people and communities will have a significant voice in determining reputation for devolved neighbourhood and local area government…by minimising disruption to existing working to empower the individual communities with organisations dependent on Cumbria-wide coverage policies and strategies, and these will be implemented by a single which people identify. and giving greatest continuity to employees and partners. • High performing services… by exploiting large- organisation with sufficient resources and capacity to be truly effective. scale synergies between services such as social care Only a single unitary authority will minimise disruption and housing, education and children’s services, and maximise the potential for streamlined funding and highways maintenance and town centre management reporting arrangements to the myriad of (particularly The new authority will reconcile the diversity of competing interests in across an adequate population size. voluntary sector) organisations already operating at the Cumbria-wide scale. Cumbria and represent them coherently, regionally and nationally. Only a single unitary authority can deliver high-powered management of these services that will Already Cumbria is 28th in population terms enable full integration of functions without undesirable among the 34 English shire counties. joint management arrangements between smaller This adversely affects national funding and the councils. power with which we can press the interests of Cumbrians regionally and nationally. • High quality political and managerial leadership… by offering sufficient scope, breadth To go for anything less than a Cumbria-wide of responsibility and capacity to attract and retain the new unitary Council risks sending this best in local leadership. wonderful part of England into powerlessness and depression compared with the big Councils in the north west region. 4 5 One Cumbria - Many Voices, One Vision One Cumbria - Many Voices, One Vision Delivering the Vision • The County Council believes that a single unitary • The expectations of Government and local tax • Our submission provides an evidence-based • The chart below illustrates how a new unitary authority for Cumbria is the only model which payers form the specifications for a new and argument to support the case for a single authority will build on existing strengths and can deliver any realistic prospect of quality vibrant authority - one that has the capacity to unitary authority for Cumbria to deliver the eliminate weaknesses to provide real benefits for services, cost effectiveness and significant be innovative, responsive to local communities agenda for a modernised local government. the whole of Cumbria and it's local communities. influence on the regional agenda. and provide better value and one that can make a significant impact regionally and nationally. CUMBRIA 2003 CUMBRIA 2006 where Councils are now CHALLENGES One Unitary Authority AND • County delegation to local commitees & • One clear vision neighbourhood forums OPPORTUNITIES • Clear identity - understood by local people • Cumbria Strategic Partnership (CSP) & Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) • Strengthened local decision making • High performing County education authority • Empowered local communities • Community Leadership • Citizen access & participation • County regeneration success including creating • Aligned & focused partnerships Strengths innovative regeneration companies • Community Engagement • Clear vision of community well-being • Improved ability to manage conflicts internally • County economies of scale: education, • Sustainable communities • Framework of standards & accountability social services & highways • Strengthened regional influence • High quality political leadership • Devolution to encourage diversity & creativity • County service and partnership innovation • Increased capacity to build and deliver • Clearer accountability Leadership Community • One efficient and cost effective Council Seven local authority bureaucracies causing: • Effective, convenient local government • Sound financial management • Shared skills, better services • Fragmented service delivery & regional influence • Innovative • Front line flexibility • Improved performance • Strategic capacity • More choice for customers • Duplication • Improving, managing performance • Enjoy the confidence of • Combined resources • Limited capacity • Maximise partnership potential customers & partners • Good recruitment and retention aknesses • Confusion for the public • Locally responsive We • Lack of co-ordination • Equitable • More flexible & accessible services • Artificial internal council boundaries BETTER VALUE Quality Services BETTER SERVICES CUMBRIA 2003 CUMBRIA 2006 where Councils are now One Unitary Authority 6 7 One Cumbria - Many Voices, One Vision One Cumbria - Many Voices, One Vision Characterising the Needs of Cumbria Unique context Scale and sparsity Landscape and environment Infrastructure and communications Cumbria is a unique county that justifies a unique The Cumbrian land mass shapes one of England’s Cumbria contains all of the Lake District as well The M6 creates Cumbria's ‘spine’ of 97km of approach to local government. Even Carlisle, it's most recognisable and well-defined counties with as closely associated parts of the Yorkshire Dales motorway through the east side of the land mass. largest settlement, contains less than 70,000 people. 73% of residents showing fairly or very strong sense National Parks (Map 9) and four Areas of In addition there are 357km of trunk roads and of belonging at the