- The Green Party stands against the Government’s plans to reorganise councils, citing concerns about huge “super-councils” and new bureaucracies undermining local democracy.
- Green councillors advocate for a local-first approach, where councils determine their own structures, instead of arbitrary unitary sizes and additional governance tiers.
- The Greens urge for a proper consultation, a focus on community needs, and adequate funding for local councils and services.
The Green Party has voiced strong opposition to the Government’s fast-track devolution proposals, citing serious concerns over what it calls a “top-down” reorganisation of local councils orchestrated by the Labour Government.
At an emergency council meeting earlier this month, the Green councillors voted against the Council’s plans to apply to fast-track the devolution process. Greens objected to plans for a new London-style Mayor for 1.5 million residents and the merging of Districts to create “super-councils” serving 500,000 residents each – changes that would likely see Southend merged with Castle Point and Rochford District Councils by 2027. Concerningly, this new mayor system would remove local safeguards on planning, transport, and economic growth, with these decisions being made outside of our community.
“Whilst we’re told of the benefits and efficiency of such a reorganisation and a directly elected mayoral combined authority, these are largely unproven, hypothetical and represent a risk to local democracy as there is little evidence of how this will benefit our residents in terms of planning, housing economic stimulus, transport, healthcare and environmental issues.
“Southend is as financially robust as it can be and as a small unitary authority already has some autonomy over its affairs. Taking on more regional responsibility risks this and changes the demographics of local democracy, effectively disenfranchising our local electorate. Whilst I appreciate the 10th January deadline puts our leadership under pressure, this proposal is largely ill-thought-out and does a disservice to the electorate and possibly a cross-party collaboration on how best to move forward in a unified way.
“Local government is all about serving the residents and allowing them to shape how their urban areas develop and evolve. Whilst I recognise this will happen in any event – and fast-tracking may well put Southend forward on a firm footing – Without further detail, or even a draft letter of intent, our group cannot commit to something so vague that risks destabilising Southend Council and the wider region.”
Cllr Richard Longstaff
Leader of the Green Group on Southend City Council
Cllr Stuart Allen, representing Leigh ward, echoed these concerns:
“Devolution should be about empowering local communities, but I’m not convinced this proposal is in the best interests of Southend residents. The approach feels more like a top-down directive than genuine devolution. Offering £20 million might sound appealing, but it raises questions about whether this is the right move for us or simply a way to push through a one-size-fits-all solution.
“We need to ensure that any changes truly benefit our communities. That means proper consultation, real debate, and a model that reflects the needs of Southend—not arbitrary figures like 500,000-resident unitaries or an additional tier of governance led by a strategic mayor.”
Nationally, the Green Party’s Co-Leader and MP for Waveney Valley, Adrian Ramsay, criticised the broader implications of the Government’s approach:
“The creation of super-councils removes the local from local government. This is not the right way forward. I am not opposed to reform of local government but if the point of devolution is to transfer power to local communities, this will achieve the opposite by undermining the sense of ownership and local accountability which communities currently have. These are major changes – the biggest for half a century. They should not be rushed without proper consideration of all the options.”
The Green Party advocates for a devolution model built from the grassroots, allowing councils to determine structures that work best for them. Alongside this, they are calling for a fairer funding model to enable local councils to deliver essential services effectively.
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