A recent council get-together to discuss tempted me out the house – it’s a hot topic just now. But what exactly is the deal with ‘super councils’ and devolution? Is it a Rayner pipe-dream?
Do we need more mayors?
And what’s the cost?
Devolution Rules
It’s fairly common knowledge that, following the Labour Government directive to form super councils, Dorset Council is set to merge with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Somerset and Wiltshire for strategic discussions. Already that’s cause for concern – more mayors, and the risk of rural voices drowned out by the conurbations. Less well known is the idea of ‘double devolution’, where services run by a local authority can be passed to town and parish councils. Could they actually do a better job? And what would we (as parish councillors) even want to take on?
As I sat listening to the superb work done by Yeovil Town Council in taking on big projects from Somerset Council, I was initially inspired. It’s no mean feat to take over a country park, recreation ground or entertainment services … and it looks as though the town council has made a cracking job of it. They did, however, have to increase the precept – yet few residents complained, perhaps because they could actually see results.
What to devolve?
That same call to raise precepts echoed throughout the meeting. Dorset Council was clear: anyone taking on services must also pay to maintain them. The list of potential hand-offs included public toilets, playgrounds, recreation areas and even community transport.
There was more crowing about the need to keep people healthy in communities (more of that later). Some of the town councillors looked quite smug. But for many small parishes – mine included – the question is what exactly is there to devolve? We have no public loos or car parks, and we already manage the recreation field. I’ve no plans to go full Rod Stewart and start filling potholes, though I might be partial to buying a few signs which Highways won’t. And I can’t see myself driving a gritter any time soon. Some things are best left to the professionals.
However, in some villages there are so many things that have not been maintained for years that it would be like opening Pandora’s Box.
Who does the work?
Then there’s another issue around the volunteers, who would no doubt be called upon to deal with all the devolved services as ‘free labour’. Our parish’s volunteer linesmen and grass cutters are in their eighties. It’s not just an issue about stuff the council wants to offload onto parishes, it’s about future plans for when current volunteers are having to call it a day. And it’s also about sharing the workload. Young people don’t generally come forward to help out with village jobs – it may be time for a rethink on how we make volunteering more attractive.
I imagine Dorset Council has a massive list of services which they would be happy to pass on to unsuspecting parishes. Ditches that have not been cleared in living memory, leaky toilet blocks, odd bits of land, and dodgy playgrounds created by developers all spring to mind.
After being told how Dorset’s aspiration to keep us healthy was paramount, a cholesterol-busting lunch awaited in the bar: chips, sausages, quiche, brie in breadcrumbs … all designed to cause havoc with your coronary arteries. Councillors do love their chips though, and over lunch I mulled things over.
Parish clusters
What I’d really like to do is turn the devolution discussion on its head and ignore the fire sale from Dorset Council – because there is very little that interests me there.
Everyone keeps asking where the infrastructure is for all these new houses. “It will follow,” we’re told. But it isn’t following. If we want decent infrastructure, we have to fight for it.
Maybe now is the time for clusters of parishes to get together and design a service that has never existed, but should. A community bus that runs to local hospitals and operates at weekends. Or a contracted verge-cutting service that operates more than twice a year? Could we work with farmers to get better gritting route coverage?
Like Yeovil, we’d need to raise the precept to pay for them – but at least we’d be funding things people actually NEED and USE. It could even mean employing local people to deliver services across several parishes.
While devolution got me thinking, it’s more about what is not being said than what is being expressed right now.
Devolution, it turns out, isn’t just about what councils hand down. It’s about what communities choose to build. Before we inherit anything, parish councils need the freedom – and the confidence – to design the services that truly serve them.
**The Dorset Insider is a no-holds-barred column pulling back the curtain on local affairs with sharp insight, unfiltered honesty and the occasional raised eyebrow. Written by a seasoned parish councillor who prefers to remain anonymous (for obvious reasons), it cuts through the noise to expose the frustrations of grassroots politics, and say what others won’t. Rest assured, their identity is known – and trusted – by the editorial team. Expect opinion, candour and a healthy dose of exasperation …**
