The Strange Demise of the Local in Local Government: Bigger is Not Better (Palgrave Studies in Sub-National Governance)

This book challenges the notion that bigger local government is always better. Whilst the central government in Britain has often supported increases in local government size, the book argues that this has been detrimental, and has caused the erosion of distinctive community identities that were previously represented by local authorities empowered to make significant local choices about services and future strategy. Drawing from national and international evidence, it offers an alternative narrative about the size, role, function and purpose of local government to that currently dominating policy discussion. It aims to provide readers who oppose size increases in local government with the evidence and arguments to influence change in their areas. The book will appeal to policymakers working in central and local government, as well as academics interested in public policy, public administration and local government. Acknowledgements 7 Contents 9 List of figures 11 List of Tables 12 Chapter 1: Setting the Scene 13 References 20 Chapter 2: The Way Things Used to Be 21 Introduction 21 Local Government Structure: An Historical Perspective 22 Why Place Matters 26 Conclusion 29 References 30 Chapter 3: Reorganisation, Reorganisation, Reorganisation: The Changing Map of Local Government 31 Introduction 32 You Have to Start Somewhere: London 33 Carving Up the Local Government Map of the Rest of England 36 Further Piecemeal Reorganisations 1979-2000 40 Further Piecemeal Reorganisations: 2000-2022 43 Conclusion 47 References 47 Chapter 4: Explaining the Persistence of the Unitary Principle in the Department’s Mindset 49 Introduction 50 The Unitary Bandwagon Develops Momentum 2000–10 51 The Unitary Bandwagon Rolls on 2015–22 54 Conclusion 57 References 58 Chapter 5: A Strange Affair: Local Government Reorganisation in Northamptonshire 2018–21—A Case Study 59 Introduction 60 The Background 60 The Best Value Review 62 The Response to the Caller Report 66 Explaining the ‘Strange Affair’ of the Abolition of NCC 68 Reference 71 Chapter 6: Doomsday Approaches and then Recedes 72 Introduction 73 Local Government Reorganisation and Levelling Up 73 The Cumbria Experience 77 Conclusion 83 References 83 Chapter 7: What Is the Problem About Two-Tier Local Government? 84 Introduction 85 The Real Source of Confusion 85 Overlap and Duplication 87 International Comparisons 89 Conclusion 91 References 92 Chapter 8: Why Bigger Is Not Better 94 Introduction 95 The Relationship Between Size and Performance 96 The Relationship Between Size and Local Democracy 100 Community Identity 102 Public Opinion 104 The Workload Placed on Councillors 105 Maintaining Democratic Viability 107 County Councils and Economic Regeneration 108 County Councils’ Capacity for Devolution 110 Counties as the Natural Units for Local Government 111 The Question of Size: How Big Do You Go? 112 Conclusion 114 References 116 Chapter 9: Where Do We Go from Here? 119 Introduction 120 Extending and Democratising the Combined Authority Model 120 Back to the Future: The Re-localisation of English Local Government 125 Conclusion 131 Reference 131 Appendix: How Devolution Based on Subsidiarity Might Work in England 132 Index 135