Bigger not always ‘better’ when it comes to councils, says report
A new report published the District Councils’ Network (DCN) and Professor Colin Copus has found that bigger councils are not always better and that partnership working with local areas delivers the best outcomes for residents.
The report also found that joint working is in the ‘DNA’ of district councils, with districts leading cooperation and collaboration with other councils and local partners.
District councils are vital to social and economic regeneration and remain a key part of delivering the Government’s Levelling Up ambitions.
As district council leaders and chief executives meet today at a DCN Conference on Levelling Up, they are calling for the Government to avoid a ‘one size fits all approach’ when it comes to devolving powers and levelling up the country.
The District Councils’ Network, which represents nearly 200 councils in England, is also calling for the Government to remove barriers that may prevent greater partnership working at a local level between local agencies and DCN members.
Citing international examples, the report by Professor Colin Copus finds that increasing local government size does not guarantee improvements in efficiency, service delivery or cost reduction and instead a greater emphasis on partnership working is needed to ensure the delivery of good public services.
The report also found that there was no ‘perfect size’ for a council, with there being no evidence that larger authorities delivered better or worse services than smaller sized authorities.
There are a growing number of examples of district councils across the country forming innovative partnerships across boundaries to help deliver for their residents. In Oxfordshire, five district councils, the county council, and the Local Enterprise Partnership are working together to attract substantial housing and growth funding and to accelerate the delivery of thousands of new homes.
In South Essex, a partnership of six district councils and the county council has attracted more than £10m inward investment and facilitated a big advance in broadband connectivity. The Hertfordshire Growth Board is driving regeneration around the life science and film industries and is co-ordinating efforts to deliver swift progress toward net zero across the county.
Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Chair of the District Councils’ Network said:
“As this report demonstrates, there is no perfect size for a local authority and bigger does not always mean better. Convening partners in local communities is a key part of a district councils’ DNA and something we urge the Government to continue to support to help deliver their ambition to level up the country.
“This report shows the potential DCN councils have to drive the recovery from the pandemic and to deliver investment in local areas. Through the Towns Fund, Levelling Up Fund and Future High Streets Fund, we’re investing almost £1.3bn to transform our local places and create thousands of jobs. We can do this because we know our places, have those local relationships and can deliver efficiently and effectively.
“District councils have a vital part to play in delivering for communities across the country. Nowhere is this more apparent than in our response to the pandemic where councils stepped up rapidly and went the extra mile to support our residents and businesses when they needed it the most.
“District councils already deliver so many of the things that are at the heart of the Levelling Up White Paper’s twelve missions. We’re ambitious to do more. We’ll continue working with the Government to ensure districts play a full part and are equal partners in plans to level up the country.”
