Warwick District Council's longest-serving councillor wants unitary plans halted

Councillor Alan Boad (Lib Dem, Leamington Lillington) was first elected to Warwick District Council in 1987 and argues plans to bring under one roof all of the services currently covered by county, district and borough councils across two levels of local government are being rushed.

Leader Councillor Izzi Seccombe OBE (Con, Stour & the Vale) is set to rubber stamp Warwickshire County Council’s request to government to postpone May’s county elections for a year and abolish the six current authorities to form one new unitary authority at a meeting at Shire Hall, Warwick, on Friday (January 10).

It comes after all two-tier areas in England and Wales were invited to express interest last month with government then sifting through those that come forward to see which are in the best position to progress in the first tranche.

Those selected – it is understood that 10 to 12 will progress in the first round – are likely to be given permission to postpone their May 2025 local elections for one year, keeping the current political balance of those councils in place until the new unitary authority takes full power from April 2027.

Those in the second tranche will be expected to continue with county elections, targeting crossover to unitary status from April 2028.

Writing on behalf of his party, Cllr Boad has asked Cllr Seccombe not to proceed.

“This is the largest change in local government since 1974 and should be carefully considered,” he wrote.

“It is important to get it right for residents, and not in the self interest of any political party.”

He calls for a cross-party approach with meaningful consultation with residents, councillors, businesses and neighbouring councils and authorities “before any local government reform is imposed which risks diminishing local representation”.

He added that the party does not support the idea of one council covering all of Warwickshire and suggested that “some existing members of West Midlands Combined Authority may also believe that their best interests lie in creating a new strategic authority with Warwickshire”.

“It will take time to have these conversations and some options may be closed off when the decision on how the future unitary authorities are organised is made, so these discussions must take place in parallel,” he added.

“It is over 50 years since the current boundaries were drawn up and it will probably be another 50 years until it happens again.

"Instead of avoiding the elections in May this year, they can give a fresh mandate to those fortunate enough to be elected to lead Warwickshire through the change that is coming and set it up for success in the future.

“Dodging the elections and rushing headlong down a preconceived path cannot be in the best interests of Warwickshire and it is not the right thing to do.”

In an interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service in December, Cllr Seccombe laid out her belief that moving quickly would be best for Warwickshire.

She cited the ability to have a say on how the process happens rather than risk being landed with a national template that could come from government in future years.

“We don’t want this done to us, we want to be able to shape it ourselves,” he said.

“We know it is the government’s intention, I don’t know whether a model may come in that they can lift and shift everywhere. I would much rather we have the ability to shape it.”

On delaying elections, she said: “I believe in democracy but there has been precedent set with other authorities.

“It has happened before and I am sure it will happen again, including with others that this is offered to who will take it. Change happens.”