Leader of Isle of Wight council, Phil Jordan, shares this update on the Solent Devolution plans. Ed
Leader of Isle of Wight Council, Councillor Phil Jordan, explains the myths of Devolution and clarifies the position the Council is facing from Government implementations.
There are two separate Government-initiated local government changes going on which seem to be confusing many people.
It’s not about changing Isle of Wight Council
Devolution is not about changing the Isle of Wight Council. The Government wants to devolve powers, currently held by Westminster, down to local regions and areas of the country.
It also intends to give substantial additional funding that benefits the larger devolved region/area and in turn supports local investment in things such as major transport infrastructure, including cross-Solent travel, health, education, regeneration and much more.
The Government is not ‘combining’ local councils in devolution, but it is setting up another body – which includes the direct participation of these councils – to be involved in these strategic, region-wide, issues.
Similar to former Regional Development Agencies
This somewhat similar to what the Regional Development Agencies once did, in part, but it is also what the Greater Manchester Combined Authority does now, as an example.
This is referred to as a Combined Authority in Devolution terms. This is what Devolution means in organisational terms. It does not change the existence or governance of the Isle of Wight Council.
Decided by Full Council vote
No decisions on forming a Combined Authority or entering into a Devolution agreement can, or will, be approved without a vote of the Isle of Wight Council, at some future point in time, potentially during 2025, as early as the autumn.
It is envisaged that n o decisions of the Combined Authority will be made without unanimous vote of the leaders of the combined councils and mayor. There will be no veto over votes by the combined councils’ members, ensuring all combined authority votes are equal and all decisions/issues/projects/schemes/ investments etc., are agreed by all members of the combined authority.
Fast-tracked priority process
Government have also created a Priority process where areas that are moving, or intending to move, to Devolution can apply to Government to be treated as a fast track, special case that will be dealt with by Government ahead of those other areas not applying for priority status.
There is however, and running at the same time, a separate government initiative of reforming and re-organising existing Councils across the country into new Unitary councils that represent 500,000 people, or more.
The Isle of Wight is already a Unitary Council but has a population of 140,000. For some areas of the country, this will mean that District & Borough Councils are likely to disappear and be integrated into the new Unitary Authorities. This does not apply to the Isle of Wight as we do not have District & Borough Councils, and we are already a Unitary Authority.
Exceptions can apply
However, Government have also indicated in various communications and briefings that there may be areas of the country where an exception to this could be made, and that Government might consider allowing smaller councils (such as the Isle of Wight) to exist in exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case merit.
This is referred to as Local Government Re-organisation (or review).
Isle of Wight Council would remain its own local authority
Therefore, Devolution is about a wider geographical area for devolving powers from Westminster and providing additional funding whilst the Isle of Wight Council remains its own local authority (Council).
The current Local Government Re-organisation concerns reforming local councils into Unitary Authorities of a certain size (500,000 population).
Devolution and re-organisation are separate things
Government have set out a timetable in written documentation for both Devolution and for Local Government re-organisation. Both are separate and timetables are separate.
However, Government have also added a complication to the process and inadvertently related the two processes, Devolution and Local Government Re-organisation, in a way that is causing confusion.
Why Priority process application is important
Those areas that do not apply for the Priority process for Devolution are required by Government to provide plans by May 2025 as to how they intend to re-organise under the Local Government Re-organisation initiative and form Unitary Authorities of 500,000 population (or more).
Those areas that apply for the Priority process for Devolution will not be required to produce plans under Local Government Re-organisation until much later in 2025 and therefore will have more time to plan for their new Unitary Authorities.
This is important for the Island as the extended time limit – if the Island chooses the Priority process – will allow direct negotiations (during Devolution discussions) with Government on making a case for maintaining the Island’s status quo as an existing Unitary Authority.
Jordan: Government have made it unquestionably clear that Devolution is happening
Councillor Phil Jordan added,
“Given the extra time needed with the Priority process, we will be fighting the Island’s corner, tooth and nail, to ensure that the Isle of Wight Council stays as its own unitary authority, exactly as it is, as an Island Authority under the Local Government re-organisation, and as an obvious exception to the mainland.
“Due to our unique situation of being an island, and especially because we find sharing public services with the mainland difficult and no less expensive, remembering that Islanders cannot use mainland services very easily, and many services are impractical to deliver, cross-Solent, due to the water barrier.
“Put simply, forming a new larger Unitary Authority with a mainland authority – if that were even possible – makes no sense to our Island or to Islanders.
“By choosing the Priority route for devolution – the strategic partnership for regional development with a larger area – Government has said that the councils that have less than 500,000 people are allowed more time to join up with other councils, or in the case of a unique place like the IOW, make the exception case for staying as a separate authority, in its current form. This means that the Isle of Wight Council ‘buys more time’ to make its case to stay a separate council, as is and make our case for the Isle of Wight being an exceptional case for Government.“Since Government have made it unquestionably clear that Devolution (i.e.; the regional partnerships ) across the country is happening, it makes far more sense to start devolution now under the Priority process, giving us the maximum time to talk and negotiate with central government to make the case for keeping the Isle of Wight Council as a separate council, explaining how being detached by water and the dependency on ferry services, affects Islanders, businesses, and council services we provide.”
Catch up on the latest in relation to the Devolution plans by accessing OnTheWight’s Solent Devolution archive. Ed
