Last week, the Government confirmed that Kent will not be included in the Labour government’s fast-tracked devolution programme.
As Chronicle readers will know, I have opposed this proposal since it was first discussed last year. I do not want to lose Sevenoaks District Council and all the great things it does locally for us all. With our weekly bin AND recycling collection (the last such service in Kent) the clean streets, leisure facilities, community support and activities, it is no wonder that it has previously been recognised at awards for being the best council in the country, and in response to regular resident surveys, these show high levels of satisfaction when compared to other councils.
The proposed creation of mega councils covering at least 500,000 residents was never mentioned in the Labour Party’s manifesto. Yet, the Government is now pressuring councils to produce plans for a complete overhaul of local government in an unreasonably short timeframe.
While I support the principle of devolving more power to counties, districts, and boroughs, I strongly oppose this being used as a pretext to abolish our excellent Sevenoaks district Council and shift power to Maidstone.
It is interesting to note that the magic figure of 500,000 has not been applied to many Labour councils with Mayors (such as London and Manchester) where not one local council comes anywhere near that size.
At present, this is only a temporary reprieve. The Government is still demanding that Kent councils submit an interim proposal by 21 March on how Kent and Medway could be divided into unitary authorities, with full proposals due by 28 November. Where is the opportunity for public consultation before these drastic changes are rushed through? This is not true devolution - it is a top-down mandate designed to centralise power further.
I see no direct benefit to our area, so and as such, I will continue to stand up for Sevenoaks district council, its officers and our hard working councillors.
