Black Country Chamber opens debate on unitary authority

THE Black Country Chamber of Commerce is calling for a debate on the future of local government in the area.

A number of prominent business leaders in the area are of the opinion that having four local authorities – Wolverhampton City Council, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council – is a negative when it comes to Black Country-wide decision making.

Paul Bennett, president of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, said: “The time has come when we need to ask whether the current model of four entirely separate council authorities is fit for purpose.”

“The Black Country population broadly numbers that of Birmingham. They have a single authority and we have four.”

Bennett added: “We have seen devolution of power to regional assemblies, in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by previous Government and the current Government is further devolving power away from Whitehall to major cities through its City Deal programme.

“Major cities such as Birmingham and Manchester have undergone transformational change in recent decades, but this has not been mirrored in the Black Country. We have to ask why.”

The Chamber acknowledges that there is better co-operation between local authorities through the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership and the Black Country Consortium, but many in the business community feel more could and should be done.

Bennett said: “Nearly ten years have passed since work started on the Black Country Study in 2003. This study recognised the need to consider radical change in the sub-region to counter the process of decline of the previous 30 years.

“There has been little evidence of any radical new thinking over the last decade or so and our output gap has more than doubled in five years from 2006 to 2011 rising from £2.6bn below the English average to over £6.2bn below the English average.”

Bennett is calling for “more shared vision between the Black Country authorities, some radical ideas and the right framework to deliver implementation expeditiously and efficiently”.