Local Government Reorganisation: Shape Worcestershire

Background

Major changes are planned to councils across Worcestershire as part of the biggest shake-up of local government in more than 50 years. The Government is requiring 21 areas of England to restructure their system of local government before 2029.

There are two parts to the Government’s proposed changes:

• Local government reorganisation – where the Government is looking to replace Bromsgrove District, Malvern Hills District, Redditch Borough, Worcester City, Worcestershire County, Wychavon District and Wyre Forest District Councils with fewer councils.
• Devolution – where the Government is looking to transfer powers and funding to new Strategic Authorities (also called Combined Authorities) that cover a number of new council areas and are responsible for large projects such as transport, infrastructure, and economic development.

Latest

The council has agreed a proposal to create a north unitary council to run services, where every community flourishes – alongside another for the south of Worcestershire. 

At a full council meeting on Wednesday November 19, members voted in favour of submitting the document, ‘Transforming Worcestershire: Local government that works for people, powered by place and built for the future’, to the Government, by November 28th.

What’s Happened So Far

The council worked with Malvern, Redditch and Wychavon District Councils and Worcester City, alongside consultants KPMG and Mutual Ventures, to put together the proposal document: Local Government Reorganisation Report Final Draft For Council

To reach that point, the council considered a business case put together by Mutual Ventures and, together with other borough, city and district councils across Worcestershire, carried out public engagement for residents to have their say on their preferred option, called Shape Worcestershire: Reorganising your local councils together