Ten years of 'super-councils' – a shake-up or a let-down?

Ten years ago Northern Ireland rolled out major changes to its local councils.

The old 26 councils were merged into 11 and handed a host of new powers, from off-street parking to local planning matters.

These extra responsibilities were added to the bin collections, leisure services and many other functions councils carry out.

It was a shake-up that was meant to save money and enable local communities to better shape their towns, cities, and rural areas.

But a decade on, have the so-called "super councils" been a success or a let-down?

Cutting administrative costs to the public purse was among the reasons given for local government reform.

Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly were told that changes were projected to save between £438m and £570m over a 25-year period.

So has slimming down the number of councils really been cost effective?

A recent report by Stormont's Department for Communities (DfC), which has responsibility for local councils, examined the numbers so far.

It found council spending in Northern Ireland has increased by 7.8% in the 10 years from 2012-13 to 2021-22.

In seven of those years, total expenditure exceeded their total income.

On average this was by an extra £32.57m per year, with local authorities using borrowing or their reserves to fund additional spending.

Councils told the report they had identified £21.49m of efficiency savings.

They also said they did not receive the necessary resources to manage some of their new assets, creating a "financial burden".

The report concluded "it is too early in the process" to say whether local government reform "has been cost-effective or not".

It cited the "limited timeframe" councils have had to "fully leverage any benefits of increased powers", as well as Stormont's periods of "political instability".

The Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) said its most recent annual review of council finances in 2024 reported a £128m shortfall between total income and expenditure - the largest since the new council structures were established.

A spokesperson said the local government auditor Colette Kane has expressed "concern" this could "challenge the long-term financial sustainability" of the sector if the trend continues.

She intends to reflect on how cost effective the super-councils have been in her 2025 report when it is published later this year.

Perhaps the biggest change 10 years ago was how most planning functions passed from Stormont to local councils.

Only those deemed to be "regionally significant" are retained by the infrastructure minister in the Northern Ireland Executive.

With more than 10,000 planning applications lodged in Northern Ireland in 2023-24, have outcomes improved?

The average processing time for local applications in that year across all councils was 20.8 weeks.

This exceeds Stormont's 15-week target and is an increase of 1.8 weeks on the same period a year earlier.

Just three of the 11 councils met the target in 2023-24.

A report by the NIAO in 2022 which examined the local planning system found it was "not operating efficiently".

It said it was "failing to deliver for the economy, communities or the environment" in many respects.

However, in last year's DfC report, councils said planning was now a "much more responsive service" with greater understanding of "local priorities".

Ciarán Fox, director of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA), said processing times were "worse in some council areas and better in others".

He said a new online portal for submitting applications was "working reasonably well" after a "troublesome introduction".

"However, there is no sign as yet that it is improving processing efficiency," he added.

But Mr Fox said alongside "speed of decision-making", there needed to be a "greater focus on design quality".

"No council in Northern Ireland has a city or county architect. This role has been shown across Europe to be a vital role in creating vibrant and attractive places," he added.

Local government reform also brought in new governance and transparency arrangements for councillors.

A new code of conduct for councillors was created, covering areas including standards of behaviour and handling financial and other conflicts of interests.

Complaints are examined by an independent watchdog, the Local Government Commissioner for Standards.

It has received about 400 complaints against councillors in the past decade.

These have led to 28 adjudication hearings, with some councillors facing sanctions, including periods of disqualification or suspension from their roles.

While some investigations into complaints against councillors are dealt with quickly, others have continued for years without reaching a resolution.

Standards commissioner Margaret Kelly said the past decade has been a "learning curve".

"However, I believe there is a higher level of awareness among both local councillors and the public in relation to the code and perhaps a greater expectation of higher standards in public life," she said.

"In the first few years of the operation of the code many of those allegations were made by other councillors.

"It is now more common for members of the public to raise allegations."

Councils believe the reform of local government has brought challenges, but also opportunities.

Suzanne Wylie, a former chief executive of Belfast City Council, said local authorities went through reforms in "good faith".

"This was never going to be a straightforward process, but they all got on with the job in hand and now have more ability to deliver at a local level than any time since 1972," she said.

Ms Wylie, who is now chief executive of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, said cooperation has enabled councils to deliver "game-changing" initiatives such as the City and Growth Deals.

But she said the transfer of powers to councils a decade ago was meant to be "phase one".

"Other powers, such as regeneration, were due to transfer at a later stage," she said.

"This did not happen, and in my view, left councils with a missing tool in the toolbox needed to support and shape towns and cities."

"Despite this, many of the councils still invested significantly in local community facilities and local regeneration schemes."

The Northern Ireland Local Government Association (Nilga) said it has been a decade of "enhanced efficiency, transparency and accountability".

"While there are successes of the past decade, challenges remain," it said.

"Councils face ongoing financial pressures and rising public expectations for improved services."

It said "expanding" devolved powers for councils should be considered.

"Increased collaboration with councils across the UK and Ireland also presents avenues for shared prosperity and sustainability."