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The chair of a special interest group representing unitary councils has accused some county councils of planning to “retake” the unitaries they sit alongside under the government’s new devolution strategy.
Paul Bettison (Con), who is the chairman of the Unitary Councils Network - a lobbying body which is part of the Local Government Association - said he was wary of the implications of the government’s recent rhetoric to “take devolution beyond the largest cities”. He claimed the ambition for more county deals opens the doors for counties to take over neighbouring unitaries that broke away from them during the last major wave of reorganisation in 1997-8.
DCN opens its membership to unitaries
The District Councils Network has opened its membership to unitary as well as district councils for the first time in its 47-year history.
DCN, a special interest group of the Local Government Association which has been representing districts since it was formed as the result of the 1974 local government reorganisation, is welcoming three unitaries as new members.
Its first cohort of West Northamptonshire, North Northamptonshire and Dorset councils, will join the group from 1 June, are all new unitary authorities that have been formed in the last two years through reorganisation.
Following a ballot of DCN members in which 95% of responses received were in favour of opening up membership, the body’s constitution was updated. The announcement of a DCN membership offer to unitaries was formally announced at the DCN general assembly earlier this week.