Lancashire councils face abolition in shake-up

Lancashire County Council's Conservative group backed plans for a shake-up, it is understood

A plan is being drawn up to abolish Lancashire's councils and split the county into three authorities.

It would pave the way for creation of a combined authority overseen by an elected mayor, Lancashire County Council said.

The proposal is a step towards securing a devolution deal to gain extra powers and cash for the county.

But to go ahead, the plan would need a county council majority and then government approval.

Members of the ruling Conservative group at the council backed the shake-up at a private meeting over the weekend, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands.

Lancashire currently has one county council, 12 district authorities and two standalone unitary councils - Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen - but these would all be abolished under the proposal.

Under the plans, they would be replaced by three unitary authorities covering:

• Central and southern parts of the county - Preston, South Ribble, Chorley and West Lancashire

• A western and northern area - Blackpool, Wyre, Fylde, Lancaster and Ribble Valley

• And the east - Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Rossendale, Hyndburn and Pendle

The authority's Conservative leader Geoff Driver said: "For far too long Lancashire has missed out on the benefits of devolution because of internal squabbles about how our structures are organised.

"It's time to set aside petty politicking and break that logjam."

Councillor Geoff Driver said the plans were "bold and ambitious"

In June, leaders of all 15 local authorities in Lancashire voted for "the principle" of a combined authority and an elected mayor.

But reaction from district leaders suggested some did not accept the way the plan was drawn up, while others criticised the concept, timing, or both.

The proposal is being drafted without any consultation with the district authorities - some of which favour the status quo.

'Civil war'

Labour group leader Azhar Ali said Lancashire was being "sold down the river" and should focus on lobbying government for more money, not a reorganisation "without actually knowing what you're going to get in return from devolution".

At a full council meeting earlier this month, the Labour group said it would reluctantly support a combined authority and elected mayor to secure a devolution deal.

The Liberal Democrats opposed both reorganisation and the proposed new mayor.

One senior Conservative figure in Lancashire argued the three-way division risked a "bloody civil war" within the party locally.

The county council's chief executive, Angie Ridgwell, has been tasked with devising a business case to back up the proposal for government approval, aiming to be ready before the release of a long-awaited government white paper due to be published in the first week of September.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said: "There is clear and significant evidence that outcomes improve and the country gets better value for money when councils have the freedoms and funding to make local decisions."