A national newspaper recently reported that the Forest of Dean was the best place to live in England, and whilst we know that these reports perhaps need to be taken with a pinch of salt, it’s great to receive such public recognition for something we as residents have known for years!
But what makes the Forest such a special place to live?
As part of wider discussions on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), we want to hear from residents and businesses across Gloucestershire about what makes their area what it is.
All seven councils across Gloucestershire are running a county-wide poll of residents and engage with the public to elicit a more detailed response to this question.
This is your opportunity to share your views through an online survey or by giving your feedback in person by attending local events throughout the summer to help us build a detailed picture of life in the Forest and contribute to a report that will inform our submissions to the government at the end of November.
It is an exercise in true local democracy, and I encourage residents to participate. Details are available at www.futuregloucestershire.org.uk, on the Forest of Dean District Council website, and from council offices.
Why do we need LGR? A good question. The Labour manifesto for the general election in 2024 mentioned devolution of Westminster powers to combined local authorities but was silent on LGR. The government issued a white paper last year stating, in simple terms, that there could be no devolution without local government reorganisation, and that the way to do this was to dispense with district councils to create unitary councils.
These would be based on existing county geographies and create a ‘one-stop shop’ for the delivery of council services. The paper was silent on the role of town and parish councils and how local democracy would function in the absence of district councils. In recent years, a number of county councils have already become unitary authorities. In Wiltshire and Somerset, they created a system of Area Boards or panels where county councillors, town and parish councillors, local interest groups, the NHS, police, and members of the public can meet on a quarterly basis to give feedback to the new unitary council and disseminate policy from the county.
This has, however, met with mixed success. After a flurry of interest at the start, some of the groups have become dysfunctional and lost funding.
In the Forest, the cabinet has yet to be convinced of the benefits of LGR for our residents and communities. We have asked the government to explain the rationale behind LGR when the evidence suggests unitary councils eventually become remote from the people they serve. This results in a so-called “democratic deficit”, creating the very opposite of what was intended. The minister has responded but, as expected, has failed to fully address the genuine concerns we have about LGR.
It is especially important at this time that we hear from residents on their thoughts about local government, and I would encourage you all to complete the brief survey which is open until 9 August 2025.
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