Worcestershire County Councillor Mel Allcott has taken the extraordinary step of writing an open letter to the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution after the County Council Leader requested to the government that Worcestershire’s County Council Elections be postponed.
Cllr Simon Geraghty wrote to Jim McMahon MP, who is overseeing the implementation of the governments white paper on the 8th January before telling a full council meeting that there was “no circumstance” in which Worcestershire’s county and district councils will continue in their current form.
However, no public debate was allowed on the subject, meaning that councillors were not consulted or given the opportunity to vote on the proposals. Many saw the move as an attempt by the Conservative led council to avoid another election in order to keep hold of power for longer after the party was wiped out across the country during the last General and Local elections.
In her letter, writing in her capacity as Group Leader of the Unity Group at Worcestershire County Council, Cllr Allcott laid out clearly to Mr McMahon that the proposal did not have support from Lib Dem and Labour councillors. She said ‘This is in part because as government you have indicated this will only happen in priority areas who have clear and agreed plans. This is not the case in Worcestershire, so we cannot be in the first phase of the reforms.’
She further pointed out ‘our county is diverse and made up of over 600,000 residents across urban, suburban, and rural areas. Any reform of local government in Worcestershire should follow a period of proper consultation with residents, businesses, elected representatives and stakeholders.’
‘Looking at the evidence, we should decide collectively what is best for our area. This will take time and should not be rushed through by a conservative administration, following the general election result, looking to prevent losing seats in May 2025 elections.’
‘Our objective must be to get this right for our residents and businesses. That cannot be achieved if we make rushed decisions that have not been given the serious consideration that they deserve.’
The group leaders on Worcester City Council have also written a joint letter to Mr McMahon setting out their opposition to the county council’s request for postponement of May’s elections. Labour’s Lynn Denham, Green Louis Stephen and Lib Dem Karen Holmes welcomed the proposal to devolve more powers to local communities but say the elections should go ahead as planned.
They say in their letter: “Over the past few weeks, Worcestershire County Council has already failed to share information or work collaboratively with us.We were not informed that the county council intended to submit a letter seeking postponement, and the contents of the letter were not shared with us until after it had been submitted.
“This most critical matter of local government was not even put on the agenda of the scheduled county council meeting on January 9. This has led to a fundamental breakdown in trust and confidence between partners and leaves us in no position to work collaboratively to submit a local government reorganisation proposal in accordance with the priority timetable.
“We cannot accept a continuation of this unilateral approach over the next few critical months. More time, and a fresh political mandate in May, is required. This will ensure that the requirements of the White Paper can be met, in a spirit of genuine co-operation, without the need for subsequent ministerial intervention.”
Mel Allcott’s Letter in Full:
Dear Jim McMahon MP
I am Group Leader of the Unity Group at Worcestershire County Council. I am writing to you in your capacity as Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government).
Following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper on 16th December 2024, you will have received an email on 8th January 2025 from the Leader and Chief Executive Officer of Worcestershire County Council.
Worcestershire County Councillors have not yet been allowed any public debate on this matter.
The Unity Group of Labour and Liberal Democrat Councillors would like to make it clear that we do not support postponing the county council elections scheduled for May 2025. This is in part because as government you have indicated this will only happen in priority areas who have clear and agreed plans. This is not the case in Worcestershire, so we cannot be in the first phase of the reforms.
Please also note that County Hall, Worcestershire County Council’s main building, has been completely out of use since June 2024, since legionella bacteria was found. The top floors of the building had been closed since September 2023 due to RAAC in the roof. There is no update on a solution and meeting rooms are booked out at other council buildings for 2025 year.
Our county is diverse and made up of over 600,000 residents across urban, suburban, and rural areas. Any reform of local government in Worcestershire should follow a period of proper consultation with residents, businesses, elected representatives and stakeholders. Looking at the evidence, we should decide collectively what is best for our area. This will take time and should not be rushed through by a conservative administration, following the general election result, looking to prevent losing seats in May 2025 elections.
We recognise that the government’s white paper sets a clear direction of travel. As Unity Group, we are double hatted councillors for Bromsgrove, Malvern, Redditch, Worcester and Wychavon, five of the six borough / city / districts so have a real sense of what works across the majority of the council. We want to work collaboratively with others to agree how we respond to this. Any changes must be carefully considered, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring that residents and businesses are fully engaged in shaping the future governance of Worcestershire.
Our objective must be to get this right for our residents and businesses. That cannot be achieved if we make rushed decisions that have not been given the serious consideration that they deserve.
Kind Regards
Mel
