The Government is inviting authorities to join a priority devolution scheme to transfer power from central government to smaller, more localized regions of power.
Councils will be invited to merge to form larger unitary authorities with populations of more than 500,000, though the Government has indicated there could be flexibility for slightly smaller populations. Essex, Southend, Thurrock and Basildon councils have all indicated an interest in devolution.
Thurrock’s general services committee met on Tuesday prior to a cabinet meeting where a decision to write to the Government to express an interest in joining the scheme was backed by councillors.
Speaking at the general services committee meeting, Sara Muldowney, councillor responsible for resources, said: “I’m in favour of going forward for the priority programme.
“From a finance point of view this could be an opportunity for Thurrock to be joined with support from other councils in the district to get out from under the debt Thurrock residents are labouring under.”
The devolved regions will have directly elected mayors to attract investment in transport, growth and infrastructure. The first of these could be elected in 2026 prompting many authorities, including Thurrock, will ask for government approval to delay the 2026 local elections.
Speaking at the cabinet meeting John Kent, leader of the council, said “It’s important we look at the two different issues that we have before us. The first is devolution, the creation of a combined authority under the leadership of a directly elected mayor. There is a real opportunity with a directly elected mayor to increase our economy and the opportunities for people that live here.
“Alongside that is the issue of local government reorganisation. We’ve been struggling to balance the books and deal with the size of debt Thurrock has and we have to recognise it will be incredibly difficult to provide even a basic level of public services going forward.
Mr Kent added: “There is an opportunity in local government reorganisation to increase the size of the authority which will give us greater capacity, greater economies of scale and the opportunity to provide a good level of service to people living in Thurrock. It’s an opportunity we have to take.
“If we are going to deliver this on the Government’s timetable, with elections to a shadow authority by 2026, that means that it is impossible to do that and stop for a pre-election period and carry out an election in May. An all-out election costs in the region of £300,000. It is a sum of money we can’t justify if we are going to be electing people for one year.”