Questions over South Holland District Council’s proposed break-up with Breckland are being raised after it was revealed the partnership only happened in 2010 as neighbouring Lincolnshire authorities turned them down.
The pair have shared services for more than a decade, but now look set to end that agreement, with SHDC looking to instead partner with at least one other, more local authority.
A report on the break-up by head of place Nathan Elvery, who was brought in to oversee it after the departure of chief executive Anna Graves, was discussed at a joint meeting of SHDC’s Performance Monitoring and Policy Development Panels last week.
It recommends SHDC finds more local partners rather than keep the current arrangement, improve it or be a standalone authority again.
Coun Tracey Carter said she felt the report was “based on hope” while Coun Jack Maclean asked what had changed from ten years ago.
“I suspect many of us would have always preferred a local arrangement,” he said, “My understanding was at the time prior to this current arrangement we got turned down by those neighbouring councils, so what’s changed there?
“We have since had the devolution conversations and those didn’t exactly go too well for us either.”
Coun Bryan Alcock added: “There is a history, but as far as one of them was concerned I’d want a money back guarantee for the simple reason on the last occasion we spent quite a lot of money in that direction only to be jilted at the altar.
“This paper gives us a structure for the divorce and to carry it out in a civilised manner.
“I take the point we need to signpost we’re going to depart from the present arrangements but the issue this whole process raises for me is the cost overall to the authority.
“I’m sceptical that we can accommodate the workload that will inevitably come along to create a business plan to go into partnership with one or two, or three or whatever number of adjoining authorities.”
Mr Elvery said of the 2010 decision to not go into partnership with a neighbouring authority: “Since the time those conversations took place the landscape for local government has dramatically changed.
“One is the financial challenges that authorities continue to be under and the need to make a decision whether you’re better doing these things in partnerships, sharing costs and management teams. They’re more valid conversations than they would have been in 2010.
“It would need to include more than one organisation to meet the government’s criteria for population size.
“From my limited experience of working with you, the appetite for partnership working with neighbouring authorities within Lincolnshire is certainly there.”
He continued: “I think you’re evolving into a position where you’re putting yourself into the best possible circumstances when they come along.”
Coun Andrew Tennant was scathing of the report: “If what Nathan’s saying is we’re saving a million a year from being in Breckland, we’re prepared to break that before we’ve got anywhere down the line with forging a new relationship with a local authority.
“We’re not in a position where an authority will come in with us and we’re certainly not in a position where devolution is in one year or even five years’ time.
“So are we happy to say we’re ready to throw that million pounds a year saving away on the ifs and the buts?
“You feel this report is rather like a novel you knew the ending to.”
Mr Elvery said: “One of the reasons I have been brought in is because I’m independent to the organisation.
“I can reassure members that I have approached this objectively and it is independent and I want to reassure members that there was no pre-determined view about what the option should be that’s recommend to you.
Both cabinets were very clear to give an independent view of how I saw the organisations going forward.
“Those savings have been achieved and are based into the budget, so the changes being recommended don’t mean those savings stop being available, but the preferred option demonstrates there could be future savings.”
