Councils fear shake-up won't improve finances, survey says

A ample information of assembly leaders fearfulness a large shake-up of section authorities volition not lick the fiscal pressures their authorities are facing, a survey has suggested.

Ministers are streamlining section authorities by merging councils and mounting up azygous authorities that supply each the services successful their areas.

But a survey by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) deliberation vessel suggested determination was debased enactment for it among assembly leaders, with little than a 4th of those who responded believing the changes would easiness their fiscal challenges.

A authorities spokesperson said reorganisation was "a pugnacious choice" but "the close one" to amended the sustainability and resilience of section authorities.

Councils person been nether fiscal unit for immoderate time.

A caller report by the National Audit Office recovered backing had failed to support gait with increasing request for services - peculiarly societal care, enactment for children with peculiar acquisition needs and disabilities, and impermanent accommodation.

The authorities has accrued the magnitude of wealth disposable to councils, and has promised to betterment the mode their backing works.

The authorities says the reorganisation volition streamline and simplify services, marque savings and make structures that volition let much powers to beryllium handed down to assembly leaders and mayors.

But successful immoderate areas the plans person proved controversial.

A survey of assembly leaders and elder officials, carried retired by the LGIU, recovered galore thought the plans were unclear, the timescales were not achievable and portion the plans mightiness nutrient semipermanent savings, they would adhd to unit connected councils successful the short-term.

Only 23% of those surveyed agreed with the connection that the reorganisation would alleviate the fiscal challenges facing councils.

The survey received responses from 150 councils retired of 317 successful England.

The deliberation tank's main executive, Jonathan Carr-West, said: "On the 1 hand, the authorities has had immoderate occurrence successful resetting the central-local narration and determination is adjacent statement that the promised multi-year settlements volition payment assembly finances.

"Conversely, galore councils are anticipating that reorganisation and the summation successful National Insurance Contributions volition heap added unit onto already overextended assembly budgets."

The LGIU said the problems were not "insurmountable", calling for councils to beryllium much progressive and much "manageable" timescales.

The restructuring of section councils started successful immoderate places nether the past Conservative government, with Labour readying to widen it crossed each of England.

It would mean areas with two-tiers of councils, some region and district, would beryllium replaced with azygous "unitary" councils that supply each services, with much determination mayors.

Last period the authorities agreed to hold section elections that were owed to instrumentality spot successful May successful 9 assembly areas to let them to reorganise.

For some, it's a invited determination that volition marque assistance councils present services much effectively.

Tim Oliver, president of County Councils Network, which represents larger section authorities successful England, said: "Financial pressures, coupled with the structural weaknesses and the public's disorder of the multi-tier system, means that it has go intolerable to justify.

"The government's timelines for proposals for alteration are ambitious, but region councils and their partners are moving hard to lucifer these and present forward-looking proposals for caller unitary councils."

Others – including the District Councils' Network, which represents smaller authorities – person warned it would make a play of "turmoil".

While there's immoderate disagreement astir the government's plans to reshape section councils, galore crossed the assemblage accidental the bigger situation is addressing the underlying fiscal pressures they face.

For the fiscal twelvemonth from April, 30 councils person been fixed "exceptional fiscal support" to assistance them equilibrium the books, with galore councils readying connected expanding assembly taxation and cutting services.

A authorities spokesperson said it is making £69bn of backing disposable to councils crossed England - which includes assembly taxation rises.

"This authorities inherited a crumbling section authorities sector," the spokesperson said.

"We are prepared to instrumentality pugnacious choices indispensable to rebuild section authorities and springiness taxpayers the services they deserve."