The Cabinet of Gloucestershire County Council met on Thursday 9 January 2025 and endorsed the Leader's response to the government's English Devolution White Paper, signalling a commitment to local government reorganisation and devolution for Gloucestershire. The Cabinet also resolved to delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Corporate Resources, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make further amendments to the letter to the Minister of State before its submission.

English Devolution White Paper

The Cabinet endorsed the Leader's response to the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution's letter dated 16 December 2024. This response included a request to postpone the Gloucestershire County Council elections and the introduction of new electoral boundaries to May 2026. This decision was made in response to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, which sets out the government's proposals for devolving powers to regions and introducing mayoral combined authorities across England.

During the meeting, Cllr Stephen Davies, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, presented the report, highlighting that the government had presented devolution as a mandated direction of travel. He emphasised the importance of providing staff with a clear direction and noted the costs associated with holding elections. The decision was taken under urgency procedures due to the tight deadline for responding to the Minister, which was 10 January 2025.

The Cabinet discussed concerns raised by some district councils, who had indicated they would oppose the deferral of the election, although they were generally open to the concept of strategic partnerships. Despite this lack of full agreement with the districts, the Cabinet recognised the challenging timescale for responding to the government.

Members also discussed the potential implications of not moving quickly, including the risk of missing out on Tranche 1 funding opportunities and the financial benefits of proceeding with the devolution plans. Concerns were raised about the impact on recruitment and retention in children and adult social care teams, as well as aspirations to split the county, referencing the 500,000 population threshold outlined in the White Paper.

An additional recommendation was approved, delegating authority to the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Corporate Resources, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make further amendments to the letter to the Minister of State before its submission. This ensured flexibility within the scope of the report.

The Cabinet's decision to endorse the Leader's response can be found in the Revised Appendix 2 - Leaders letter to Minister.

Public Questions

Nine public questions were submitted for consideration. Supplementary questions were asked regarding the infrastructure needs to support housing development, the necessity of a unitary authority for delivering such infrastructure, and the level of support from district councils for postponing elections. One questioner also inquired about the council's plans to support the development of parish and town councils, particularly in Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Cllr Stephen Davies responded to these questions, explaining that pressure exists for housing development, requiring infrastructure such as roads, public transport, and schools. He noted that the government's White Paper indicated that powers and funding would flow through combined authorities with unitary councils. Regarding the postponement of elections, he stated that while some district councils did not support it, there was general acceptance that a unitary structure was the way forward. He also addressed concerns about implementing complex changes within a short timeframe, suggesting that Gloucestershire could learn from other areas' experiences and highlighting the importance of staff recruitment and retention. On the matter of supporting parish and town councils, he stressed the need for the right model to ensure local decision-making and civic engagement, mentioning that the Association of Parish and Town Councils had offered support. The questions and answers are detailed in the Cabinet Questions document.