'Super council' set to go ahead after pause

Seven county and district councils are to be merged into one unitary authority after the government announced it was reinstating plans for a "super council".

Currently the six local councils are responsible for services like waste collection, with Gloucestershire County Council looking after things like adult social care.

In September, ministers paused proposed local government reorganisation (LGR) plans in 14 areas while a review was carried out. The government has now confirmed Gloucestershire's "super council" can go ahead, with the first elections due in 2028.

Councillor Lisa Spivey, leader of the county council, welcomed the news, but said "the delay has consequences".

"We are already facing extremely difficult financial choices, and it would be wrong for Gloucestershire taxpayers to pick up the costs of LGR," Spivey said.

The new council will be formed following shadow elections in 2028 - a year later than originally planned.

As the new authority is set up, local councils and the county council will keep operating, before being abolished in 2029.

Elections for Forest of Dean and Cotswold District Councils will go ahead next May, along with Tewkesbury Borough Council.

Speaking in the Commons, Conservative MP for the North Cotswolds Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown questioned why the shadow elections are delayed by a year.

"Why [are we] having an election next May on the existing councils?" he said.

The Local Government Minister Jim McMahon said they "have to have a programme that is consistent".

"What we can't do is say because there seems to be a bit more local consensus in one place than the other and the legal risk is a bit less we can shortcut the process," he added.

In response to the government's announcement more questions were raised about devolution.

Local authorities are clubbing together to create a mayor who then has more devolved powers and money to spend in the local areas.

Gloucestershire was not named in the chancellor's budget speech for extra funding as it still needs to go through the process of abolishing its local councils.

"We cannot allow Gloucestershire to become the forgotten county when it comes to devolution," Spivey said.

Six of Gloucestershire's seven councils have backed a proposal to join the West of England Combined Authority, which covers Bristol, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset.

Councillors from Tewkesbury Borough Council want the option of joining a Three Counties or Mercia combined authority to be kept open.

As does Reform UK councillors in Gloucestershire who want to team up with Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

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