The full council of Warwick District Council will meet next week (Wednesday 24) to discuss a potential merger with Stratford District Council to form one 'super council' for south Warwickshire.

The proposal to create 'A single statutory South Warwickshire Council covering all of the activities currently carried out by SDC and WDC' will potentially see the two districts merge by 1 April 2024.

Warwick District, including Kenilworth, has a population of 144,000; Stratford's is slightly lower at 130,000.

With plans progressing within each council, we have taken a look at the proposals and what they could mean for Kenilworth.

Already in motion

It has been well documented, since the announcement by the two councils that they planned to merge, there has already been progress towards shared responsibilities. The Head of Community and Operational Services and Head of ICT roles already cover both districts.

The two council have also already agreed a joint waste management contract. For Kenilworth this could see the introduction of a three-weekly rota for bin collections.

The contract is proposed to see a weekly food waste collection, with fortnightly recyclable waste service, and three-weekly residual collection (black bags). The so-called '123+ service' is due to come into place from summer 2022.

WDC and SDC have also already worked together on a joint local plan.

Next steps

Should the proposals be approved by both councils, as well as by the Secretary of State, the two bodies would begin the process of combining the remainder their shared services.

This would mean that as well as those mentioned above, management of parks and open space, licensing, housing, parking, environment, street cleaning and property and building management for Kenilworth would all then fall under the remit of one South Warwickshire Council.

A report issued by Deloitte on behalf of the two councils estimated that there could be a potential saving of £4.6 million annually by year five of the merger. This would be a 3.9% reduction in spending across the two districts.

To pay for the project, WDC will put aside £100,000 per year between 2021 and 2024 from the council's budget.

Warwick District Council leader Cllr Andrew Day (Con, Bishop's Tachbrook) has already said: "This is an extraordinary opportunity for us as councillors to shape a modern and agile local government for South Warwickshire for the next 50 or more years.

"It is a rare privilege we have as councillors to work together to share and create this new entity, and to meet the needs of today as well as the future."

Stratford District Council leader Cllr Tony Jefferson (Con, Welcombe) told the SDC executive that, in his view, joining forces was the best option for residents.

He said: "The fundamental issue in a changing and increasingly challenging world where reorganisation of local government is on the agenda is what is the most sustainable option for our residents?

"In my view, combining with Warwick District Council offers the best option for our residents and the best option for our residents should be the most important criteria for making the decision."

Concerns

One of the biggest issues in the proposal is the difference in council tax between the two regions.

Currently, Band D properties in Warwick District pay £27.74 more in council tax than their Stratford counterparts.

However, Kenilworth residents will not be benefitting from a decrease in tax should the councils merge. Stratford households will instead see a rise in tax bills, changes for which could begin in 2022/23.

Proposals to tackle this vary from an immediate increase to level the tax bills across South Warwickshire, to a yearly increase until equilibrium is reached.

The Deloitte report does, however outline some other concerns for taxpayers.

Firstly there is the concern over a 'domestic deficit'. Currently there are 44 elected members of WDC, however if the two councils merge this will not double to 88. As such there are concerns that the democratic voice of the individual will be lessened as wards increase in size.

Further concerns have been raised over the 'diseconomies of scale,' that a bigger council with a bigger budget does not necessarily mean a better service for taxpayers.

Voters may also be concerned that there will be a lessened response to distinctive local needs. With the council covering a much larger area, and with fewer councillors dedicated to Kenilworth there is a real possibility that the town will receive less attention from local government.

Similarly, local services in Kenilworth may also be compromised as the financial burden of the merger as well as the administrative complexity of the development may detract from the efficiency of district council services.

There is also the possibility that the current uncertainties over Covid-19 will also complicate the issue.

Timeline

Should both WDC and SDC both vote through the plans in the coming week the plans will then be submitted to the Department of Communities and Local Government, followed by public consultations and then submission to the Secretary of State by the beginning of 2023.

The merger would then have to be ratified by the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Should this proceed the UK Government would then scrutinise the areas associated within each ward allowing for a council election to be held in 2024 for the new council to begin officially.

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