Plans to abolish Lancaster City Council as part of a major redesign of local government are being opposed.
Councillors from the local Green and Liberal Democrat groups intend to fight the government's plans to scrap county and district councils, and instead push for a referendum on the issue.
The government announced its plans to introduce large mayoral combined authorities as part of a devolution white paper in December 2024.
Labour's Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner pledged to end "micromanaging by central government" and said she wanted every region of England to have a mayor.
Under the proposals, the government wants to merge areas where there are currently two tiers of local authority - smaller district and larger county councils - in a bid to streamline services. This means the existence of Lancashire County Council in its current form, is also under threat.
Lancaster City councillors Gina Dowding, Tim Hamilton-Cox, Joyce Pritchard, Sally Maddocks, Caroline Jackson, Peter Jackson, Joyce Pritchard, and Paul Stubbins have put a motion before full council, to be discussed on Wednesday January 22.
They have called for the council "to oppose the current basis of local government reorganisation in Lancashire, and its insistence on creating unitary councils required to service huge populations of around 500,000 people; push for and plan for a ‘referendum’ or meaningful far-reaching consultation on the matter to ascertain the views of local people before any specific realignment of district councils takes place which affect Lancaster City Council’s residents; mandate the leader of the council and the executive to build on existing arrangements with Lancashire authorities where shared services deliver better value for money, and to develop a shared vision for the future; and send a letter requesting that our two MPs work alongside the City Council to achieve the best possible outcome for local people with respect to the future structure of local governance".
The motion says that current proposals on the table could see the Lancaster and Morecambe District merged with Blackpool unitary and Wyre district councils, and possibly Fylde, or Preston Council and Ribble Valley.
"Lancaster City Council previously supported the creation of a Bay Unitary Authority, backed by councillors from all five political groups on Lancaster City Council, which would have served a smaller population of 300,000 that better reflected community identity," says the motion.
"This was rejected by Government in July 2021.
"In November 2023, the Government announced it had negotiated a Level 2 devolution deal with Lancashire County, Blackpool, and Blackburn with Darwen Councils. This deal is set to transfer new powers and funding to the Lancashire Combined County Authority (CCA), in a deal that includes £20 million of capital funding to invest in local priorities and the devolution of the Adult Education Budget.
"This Level 2 Devolution deal is currently being progressed through Parliament.
"Lancaster City Council believes that devolution of powers and resources from Whitehall to Lancashire is welcome in principle, but accountability to residents, working arrangements with existing councils and the protection and enhancement of existing local services and decision making all require consideration and agreement involving elected representatives in the county at all levels."ill be diverted into Local Government."
Angela Rayner said: "If we are going to build an economy that works for everyone, we need nothing less than a completely new way of governing – a generational project of determined devolution.
"Because the Westminster system is part of the problem. Whitehall is full of layers of governance and bureaucracy, controlled and micromanaged from the centre.
"To truly get growth in every corner of the country and put more money into people’s pockets, we must rewire England and end the hoarding in Whitehall by devolving power and money from central government to those with skin in the game/
"We will get councils back on their feet, by providing long-term financial stability, strengthening standards, streamlining structures and ending the destructive ‘Whitehall knows best’ mindset that micromanages their decisions.
"We will give Mayors strong new powers over housing, planning, transport, energy, skills, employment support and more, backed up with integrated and consolidated funding.
"Devolution will no longer be agreed at the whim of a Minister in Whitehall, but embedded as a default into our country’s constitution. We will rewire national government so that our first instincts are to deliver in partnership with Mayors and council leaders, not sideline them until the last moment."
The motion will be discussed by full council at Morecambe Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public.
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