Council leader fears for future of city council under unitary authority plan

There are fears key regeneration projects could be at risk if Gloucester City Council is abolished under a reorganisation of local government.

Councillor Jeremy Hilton, leader of Gloucester City Council, said key housing and regeneration schemes were progressing in the city and needed time to be completed.

His comments follow the publication of the Government’s English Devolution White Paper, which outlines plans to abolish district councils.

In Gloucestershire this would see the six district councils, including Gloucester, abolished and potentially replaced by a single unitary authority for the whole county.

If the plans get the go-ahead, May’s county council elections could be postponed.

Councillor Hilton, a Liberal Democrat district and county councillor, said: “May 1 must be the date for elections to Gloucestershire County Council. They should not be postponed.

“The Conservatives have controlled the county council for nearly 20 years – a tired and tarnished administration that needs to go.

“I was shocked to learn of the cynical attempt by Councillor Stephen Davies, the Conservative county council leader, to postpone May’s elections.

“This is a desperate last throw of the dice to cling to power at all costs. It is shameless and comes straight out of the Donald Trump playbook.

“To use the publication of the Government’s English Devolution White Paper as the reason to delay the elections for an extra year is quite frankly incredible and beggars belief.

“It is undemocratic and should be treated with the scorn it deserves.

“It would, in effect, speed up the abolition of Gloucester City Council, showing scant regard for how Gloucester will be governed in the future.

“No discussions have taken place. He needs to note that the scrapping of Gloucester City Council was not in the Labour Party’s manifesto.

“Under the new Liberal Democrat administration in Gloucester, there is real change happening for the better in the city.

“A rushed transfer of powers to a new much bigger and remote council would put at risk major regeneration projects the city is progressing.

“We need at least three years to complete several major projects.

“We must build new housing at Whitefriars and Wessex House, complete the letting of The Forum, including the establishment of our new 4-star hotel, and prioritise the restoration and repurposing of Spread Eagle Court.

“There is also the recent £11 million Government grant towards the Greyfriars regeneration project, which we have just started work on.

“The process of creating a new structures in haste in Gloucestershire would lead to ill-considered local government reorganisation, potentially hampering Gloucester’s future.

“Councillor Davies is in a great hurry to abolish Gloucester City Council, while at the same time overstaying his welcome at Shire Hall.

“It is unbelievable – what hypocrisy.”