Councils’ merger plans seek public’s backing

Plans to merge the district councils in Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick to save around £10m per year have now been put out for public consultation.

The proposals to create a single district council covering the whole of South Warwickshire were revealed earlier this year in response to the “very uncertain financial future” the two organisations are facing.

Cllr Tony Jefferson, leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council said: “Both Councils face significant financial challenges – the impact of dealing with the pandemic, when combined with the increased costs of delivering existing services, such as waste management, as well as responding to the climate emergency.

“We have to recognise the undeniable fact that the world has changed in ways we could not have envisaged and we need to adapt to those changes.”

It is estimated that each council will have annual shortfalls of £4-6m per year within five years. The £10m cost savings that would be needed represent one-third of the combined costs of the councils.

However their forecasts show that “merely sharing some services” would not generate enough savings and would still leave “considerable duplication”.

Cllr Andrew Day, leader of Warwick District Council, added: “As much as the pandemic has been a crisis for us, it has presented a challenge and an opportunity for us to re-imagine what local government services in South Warwickshire might be like in the future.”

The consultation will end on October 24 and the findings will form part of the evidence considered at a meeting of both councils that is scheduled for December 13.

If there is agreement, the next step would then be to formally ask the Government for permission to merge.