Welsh council leaders warn against local government reorganisation

The reorganisation of local government structures is “no longer a sustainable option given the ongoing austerity”, the Welsh Local Government Association has said.

In a statement issued following its meeting last week in Mold, the WLGA’s Coordinating Committee said: “We need to move forward quickly, to reconfigure public services on the basis of the partnerships and regional collaborative models which local government has developed over the last few years.

“Significant progress has been made through council-led developments such as the Cardiff City Region Deal, Swansea Bay Region, North Wales Economic Ambition Board, Mersey-Dee Alliance and the Growing Mid Wales Partnership.”

The WLGA added: “There is a golden opportunity for the new Welsh Government and local government to move forward in partnership and transform the way we deliver public services, particularly through the integration of health and social care."

The committee also said it welcomed the appointment of Mark Drakeford as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and looked forward to working “closely and constructively” with him.

First Minister Carwyn Jones has previously acknowledged that proposals to cut the number of councils in Wales from 22 to eight or nine would not attract enough support in the Welsh Assembly to proceed.