This report sets out for Council a summary of the Government’s English Devolution White Paper published on 16 December 2024 in respect of its proposals in this policy area and the Government’s intentions for local government re-organisation; including the relevant timelines for these two separate but parallel strands of Government policy.  Associated with this is the potential deferral of elections scheduled for May 2025 to May 2026 (initially).

Council had before a detailed report of the Chief Executive (A.1) which set out for Council a summary of the Government’s “English Devolution” White Paper published on 16 December 2024 in respect of its proposals in this policy area and the Government’s intentions for local government re-organisation; including the relevant timelines for those two separate but parallel strands of Government policy.  Associated with this was the potential deferral of elections scheduled for May 2025 to May 2026 (initially).

It was reported that Devolution concerned taking Whitehall powers and devolving those to more local institutions.  The Government styled those local institutions as ‘Strategic Authorities’.  The White Paper set out the Government’s aim of universal coverage in England of Strategic Authorities – which should be a number of councils working together, covering areas that people recognised and worked in.  The current Combined Authorities, in places like Tees Valley and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, would become Strategic Authorities (as referred to below).  The levels of Strategic Authority were stated by Government as being:

·      “Foundation” Strategic Authorities:

Those included non-mayoral Combined Authorities and Combined County Authorities automatically, and any Local Authority designated as a Strategic Authority without a Mayor.

·      Mayoral Strategic Authorities:

The Greater London Authority, all Mayoral Combined Authorities and all Mayoral Combined County Authorities would automatically begin as Mayoral Strategic Authorities.

·      Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities:

Those Mayoral Authorities who met specified eligibility criteria could be designated as Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities.  This unlocked further devolution, most notably an Integrated Settlement (which the Government stated would mean Mayors would not be bound by strict Westminster rules over how to spend money locally).  Integrated Settlements were to have a single systematised approach to spending controls and a single, streamlined, overarching assurance and accountability framework.

Members were informed that the default position for Government was that Strategic Authorities should cover areas with a population of 1.5 million or above.  The combined population of Essex, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea was currently about 1.8million.  The powers of Strategic Authorities were set out in Appendix A (‘Devolution Framework Summary Table’) to the Chief Executive’s report (A.1)/

Council was made aware that Mayoral Combined and Combined County Authorities could currently use a Mayoral Council Tax Precept.  However, they could not use this on their full range of functions.  Government had said that it would legislate to correct this, raising the value for money of this existing power.

It was noted that to take forward the intentions in the White Paper, the Government intended to introduce an English Devolution Bill.   Ahead of that, it proposed to agree areas that it would determine were ready to move quickly through to the establishment of a new Strategic Authority.  Those identified would join a new Devolution Priority Programme.  Essex County Council, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea Unitary Councils had submitted a joint proposal to join that Programme.  This would, it was proposed, see a new Strategic Authority established in April 2026 for ‘Greater Essex’ with an election of a directly elected Mayor for the area in May 2026.  Links to the reports considered by those Councils were set out in the Background Papers section of the Chief Executive’s report (A.1).

Members were advised that the White Paper did not solely address devolution matters; it also referenced local government reorganisation.  The Government expected all two-tier areas and smaller or failing unitaries to develop proposals for reorganisation.  Those existing Councils were to be replaced with new unitary councils (which the Government stated should have ‘as a benchmark’ a population of 500,000 or more).  Further to this, the report referenced a letter of the same date (16 December) from the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution to Leaders of Councils in two-tier areas (and adjoining unitary councils).  This letter had included proposals to postpone elections scheduled for May 2025 to May 2026 (initially) where one or other of the following scenarios existed: 

·      Areas who were minded-to join the Devolution Priority Programme, where they would be invited to submit reorganisation proposals to Government by Autumn 2025.

·      Areas who needed reorganisation to unlock devolution, where they would be invited to submit reorganisation proposals to Government by May 2025.

It was highlighted that locally, in the week 6-10 January 2025, Essex County, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea City Councils had met separately as ‘Upper Tier’ Authorities to consider the separate but related matters of: (1) devolution, (2) local government reorganisation and (3) whether to request deferral of elections to their respective Councils from May 2025 to May 2026 (initially).  Following those meetings, the County Council, alongside Southend-on-Sea City Council and Thurrock Council, had written to the Minister to request participation in the Devolution Priority Programme (devolution and local government reorganisation), and to request the postponement of elections scheduled for May this year in the County Council and Thurrock Council areas.  There being no scheduled elections to Southend-on-Sea Council for May 2025.

This Council now awaited to hear whether ‘Greater Essex’ had been accepted as part of the Priority Programme.

The Chief Executive (Ian Davidson) introduced his report and outlined the salient points contained within the report.

Councillors M E Stephenson, Steady, M A Cossens, Fairley, Scott, Platt and I J Henderson addressed Council during the debate on this matter.

It was moved by Councillor M E Stephenson, seconded by Councillor I J Henderson and unanimously:-

RESOLVED that Council –

i)     acknowledges work will continue to ensure that the District of Tendring is in the best possible position should devolution and/or local government reorganisation go ahead;

ii)    mandates the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive to seek to ensure that the voice of Tendring (and north Essex more generally) is as strong as possible in any negotiations around devolution and local government reorganisation recognising its opportunities and challenges;

iii)    recognises that Members and Officers will continue to deliver this Council’s best value and other statutory duties for the benefit of its residents, businesses and communities every day that it exists; and 

iv)   welcomes the intention to provide periodically, briefings to Members (and reports to this Council as necessary) as the agenda around devolution and local government reorganisation develops locally.