It was thought by some that the political demise of Hazel Blears would mark the end of Local Government Reorganisation in Suffolk. I felt that this view was mistaken. The only thing that will halt what is, after all, a well defined process would be a Conservative victory at a General Election. Since the current Government is determined to cling on to power as long as possible, a General Election looks unlikely, although a defeat for the Government today on the 10p tax rate might be yet another nail in the coffin of confidence.
The most likely date for a General Election remains Spring 2010. This gives ample time, judicial reviews aside, to put the legislation in place. I was not surprised to discover recently therefore, that under the auspices of the new Secretary of State, the Department of Communities and Local Government has written to Babergh setting out their proposed timetable for considering the revised views of the Boundary Committee, to be announced on 15th July. After that date he will himself undertake a two month consultation before making a final decision in the autumn. If he decides to go ahead with reorganisation the necessary legislation would be enacted by the end of 2009.
In many ways I will welcome unitary government, although interestingly the Secretary of State has said that, in addition to the Boundary Committee's recommendation, he will also be looking at the original Ipswich Unitary/two tier option for the rest of Suffolk that was rejected as uneconomic last year. However, I was given pause for thought last week when I sat as a substitute on the Development Committee.
I do wonder whether Planning Applications will get the same detailed consideration and attention under a unitary system. The Committee by definition considers the more tricky issues, but last week a good deal of thought was given to a number of particularly controversial proposals. Should permission be given for a building that looks completely different from the submitted plans but which is in fact very attractive? Should exceptional permission be given for a new country mansion outside the village envelope in order to provide funds to maintain a walled garden of great historic interest? Should a front extension be allowed in a conservation area where there is no room to extend at the back of the property and more space is sorely needed? Some of the veterans on the Committee brought years of experience to bear on these issues, and I hope that those of us who are relatively new to the game challenged some old assumptions. On the whole I think the right decisions were reached, but the process took almost six hours!
Unitary government will save money and therefore must be welcomed in these cash strapped times. However, with fewer councillors and a much broader range of responsibilities for service delivery, I think that it will be very hard for a unitary council to replicate the level of attention to detail in the planning process that is currently provided by the District Councils.
For those who are concerned to preserve Suffolk’s built and natural environment this is a worrying issue.
