Two councils to decide on unitary authority plan

Two councils in West Sussex and Surrey are due to decide on a proposal to form a combined unitary authority as part of the Local Government Reform plans.

Crawley Borough Council and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council said the move would "maximise the economic growth" of the area.

The proposal argues the creation of a hard boundary between the two authorities, with the potential through devolution of two elected mayors on either side, would be "detrimental" to the government's growth agenda.

Labour councillor Michael Jones, leader of Crawley Borough Council, said: "This is a possibly once in a lifetime opportunity to rethink how local government works.

"We are duty-bound to consider all possible options within the guidelines set by government to ensure this town and its residents are best served by whatever structures are to follow."

Devolution is the government's plan to transfer power from Westminster to regional or local authorities.

This was published in the government's English Devolution White Paper last December, outlining reasons including "a change in way of governing" to improve the country's standards of living.

Both councils say the potential economic benefits of this move "outweigh any savings that might be made through the formation of a larger unitary".

They add the two areas form a "£13bn-plus economy and conjoined by the world's busiest single runway airport in Gatwick".

"By submitting this proposal now, we keep this option, and the compelling case regarding our shared economy, alive so that it can be considered alongside the proposals that emerge from our work in West Sussex," added Mr Jones.

The proposal will be considered at a meeting on 7 May at Crawley Borough Council.

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