50 years of local government
Yesterday, 1 April 2024, marked 50 years since a huge national shake up to #localgovernment structures and public service provision as we know it. It’s when Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole boroughs were, controversially at the time, redefined as within Dorset county instead of Hampshire – I presume to make the then DCC operationally viable.
When I joined local gov on placement in 1994, it was amidst a campaign for the then lower tier Bournemouth BC to become a unitary. I remember producing glossy brochures delivered to every home declaring the benefits of such a change in status. Bournemouth became a unitary in 1997, and the year prior I wrote my dissertation examining whether lobbying or public opinion had the greatest impact on the government’s decision (as opposed to them probably already having made up their mind!).
Fast forward to 2015 and I was immersed in the case for change to structures in Dorset once again – this time to disband the two unitaries of Poole and Bournemouth, one county and six districts in favour of two new single-tier councils, dubbed “super councils” by the local media. We were successful in this huge campaign, although the harmonisation of services and Ts&Cs, at least for BCP, remains ongoing – don’t underestimate the scale of what lies ahead after go-live day!
So what next for local government after the General Election? More devo? More elected mayors? More Combined Authorities? Or less? Hopefully a full-scale change in the funding approach to make whatever system we have in place sustainable and one we can be truly proud of because it is able to meet the needs and even the expectations of residents.
I’m proud to be a public servant. Yes, I’m now a consultant, but my client base is public sector and those working with the public sector. Like-minded peers and colleagues who believe in a system that does all it can to add value to the lives of people and improve the places were they live.
Long may it continue – but in what guise, let’s wait and see….
