Leaders fail to agree councils reorganisation plan

All 15 Lancashire council leaders have agreed to put their names to a letter setting out their initial thoughts about what should happen to local government in the county after the authorities they control are abolished.

However, the letter is devoid of any detail about which places could merge as it acknowledged there was "no clear consensus on a single proposal".

Ministers had ordered Lancashire authorities to draw up an "interim plan" by 21 March, which will see a radical reduction in the number of councils in the area.

But the letter noted that no proposal had majority support, and some places did not want to see any changes at all.

It also set out high-level options for between just one and as many as five new authorities to replace those that currently exist - offering ministers only numerical, rather than geographical, proposals. 

However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that at least one authority could be making its own submission to the government with a more detailed proposal about how the council landscape should be redrawn in Lancashire.

But Burnley Council leader Afrasiab Anwar indicated his authority would not be doing so.

Chorley and South Ribble councils have previously called for a three-way tie-up with West Lancashire, while Preston City Council's ruling Labour group said it had settled on its preference, but would not be making it public until after the joint letter was sent.

It is not yet known whether any of the Central Lancashire authorities are planning to make their own formal submissions.

Local government minister Jim McMahon has previously urged local leaders in counties set for a council revamp to make "every effort" to draw up a joint vision for their area, but recognised that it might not be possible to do so.

The shake-up being demanded by the government, as part of a nationwide overhaul, will see Lancashire County Council and the 12 district authorities in Preston, South Ribble, Chorley, West Lancashire, Fylde, Wyre, Lancaster, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Hyndburn, Rossendale and Pendle – along with the standalone councils in Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen – all scrapped.

They will be replaced by a handful of new unitary authorities covering much larger areas, which will each be responsible for delivering all council services in their patch.

Explaining the absence of a single proposal emerging from Lancashire at this early stage, the letter said it was "in part, because of the inherent complexities of Lancashire as a county – politically, economically and geographically – and also our collective desire to ensure the best outcome for Lancashire residents and businesses".

The leaders added: "The fact that we have a multitude of options of different sizes and configurations reflects the range of local views and there are mixed views on which ones best meet the government's criteria.

"There are real, pressing issues of local identity, culture and heritage that require further exploration and consideration than time has allowed."

Local areas have until 28 November to come up with their final proposals, upon which ministers will make a decision.

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