Local Government Reorganisation - Williams Commission - Wales

[ddraig]

thoughts? fears? give a shit?

the eagerly anticipated Williams Commission report is out on Monday and will most likely suggest Local Government Reorganisation in Wales with the number of councils reduced.
overdue? too far too fast? painful or sensible?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25765078
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25777579

see if anyone cares!

 

[ddraig]

the report is here
Home > Topics > Improving public services > Commission on Public Service Governance and Delivery > Report
The report of the Commission on Public Service Governance and Delivery
Last updated 20 January 2014

The Commission reported on its findings on 20 January 2014.
Its findings are available as a full report, which contains a detailed analysis of the evidence received, or a summary report, which focusses only on the findings and recommendations.

Additional Material
The report makes reference to several detailed appendices that are available online only. These are also available to download below.

Document Download

Summary report (File size: 1,156 KB)

Full report (File size: 8,219 KB)

Accountability map (File size: 2,003 KB)

Funding map (File size: 1,389 KB)

List of public bodies (File size: 445 KB)

 

[19sixtysix]

This is about cheap administration not what local communities want or need. I see formally distinct and vibrant towns in Scotland that have lost their political control to places many miles away and they now often look abandoned and uncared for with local people ignored. You need your town to be controlled locally so people can bend the ear of those in charge.

I think we need to local government reform in the whole UK to return control to towns.

 

[mwgdrwg]

Well, I'm guessing a lot of people will lose their jobs.

 

[Belushi]

This will be the third bloody reorganisation in my lifetime.

 

[Plumdaff]

My main concern is jobs. My second concern is that the jobs are far more likely to go in rural areas where it's already tough to find decently paid, non-seasonal work. It's also likely to be a further shift towards power centralised the large towns and cities of Wales. I also question the wisdom of spending a lot of money on reorgansation at a time when money is so desperately tight as it is. There's no evidence that large administrations are more immune to financial jeopardy or maladministration than smaller organisations.

This is fiddling when the actual problem is austerity, no?

 

[ddraig]

yay some replies!

getting it all agreed by easter is a big ask!

how some of the options could look
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/williams-commission-how-wales-could-6529276

 

[Plumdaff]

Council workers in the Vale of Glamorgan will be nervous I'd imagine. Can't see stuff moving out of Cardiff into the Vale.

 

[ddraig]

4 supposed options
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/number-welsh-councils-could-fall-6528725

 

[Robster]

The Vale of Glamorgan never really got adequate replacements for a lot of council facilities that were in Cardiff in 1996 when South Glamorgan was split. Who knows what'll happen when they are re-joined. I think the only people likely to benefit are people in Penarth which is geographically effectively part of Cardiff but in a different county. One example is that the bus services in Penarth are run by the Cardiff Council owned Cardiff Bus, and as a result services here always feel like an afterthought.