BUT WHETHER IT'S A UNITARY AUTHORITY OR NORTH-SOUTH SPLIT, THE 'CURRENT MODEL IS BROKEN'

COUNTY COUNCILLORS WRESTLE WITH DIRECTION OF TRAVEL FOR THE FUTURE OF CIVIC IDENTITEES

PEOPLE power may yet decide the ultimate direction of Atherstone's civic identity in the future.

Earlier today, councillors threw a compromising lifeline to the county's half a million residents after borough and district authorities rose up against a plan for democracy to be based on a single entity.

Warwickshire County Council's ruling Cabinet had signalled its desire to dissolve all local authorities – including North Warwickshire – ahead of a Government White Paper which is set to usher in the biggest reorganisation of local government in almost half a century.

The Cabinet had commissioned a study by PWC which put forward three different options for local government reform in Warwickshire, with the overwhelming recommendation be to form a single unitary authority.

Lining up against a centralised unitary authority option, the county's five local authorities commissioned a report by Deloitte which recommended Atherstone and district being part of a new North Warwickshire unitary authority with Warwick and Stratford borough residents making up a South Warwickshire one.

County councillors wrestled with the devolution proposal all day until eventually agreeing to more discussions with an acceptance that the views of public groups, organisations, and businesses should be taken into consideration over the next 12 months.

Labour opposition members tried unsuccessfully to force the ruling Tories at Shire Hall to hold fire on any recommendation until the White Paper was published – their amendment being defeated by 44 votes to eight.

County council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe said at the start of the meeting it was clear "both reports endorse that the current model is broken".

She also said that going forward there was great need to have a cross-party panel as well as clear consultation with the residents over the proposed reforms.

The full council eventually agreed – by a majority of 20 – for the Cabinet to "further debate" the reform and that recommendations from both the county council and the breakaway five local authorities may eventually be submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government ahead of the White Paper.

The county authority accepted that a residents' panel "should be established" with the involvement of borough and district councils,.

The meeting was something of a pyrrhic victory for the breakaway local authorities. Their Deloitte report, which proposed the creation of two councils in a straight north-south divide of the county, was at pains to stress the future of local democracy should be shaped by the views of residents, businesses, community groups, town, and parish councils.