Local government shake-up plans spark calls for English border council to join Wales

Carmelo Garcia, local democracy reporter

Westminster's local government shake-up plans,which could see the Forest of Dean lose its own council, have sparked calls for it to “consider independence or joining Wales”.

There are fears the district is being treated as the “poor relation” in discussions on council reorganisation in Gloucestershire.

And Forest of Dean District Councillors are calling on civic chiefs to not be afraid in standing up for the area which “has a long history of making its voices heard”.

They do not want so see history repeated in “being put upon and shut out of the way”.

At their meeting on March 20, councillors discussed the letter which was sent to Local Government and English Devolution minister Jim McMahon the previous week on behalf of all the county’s authorities.

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Options

It outlines three options for the county, one which involves a unitary authority which would see all six districts merged with Gloucestershire County Council.

Another option to create two unitary councils one in the west which includes Gloucester, Forest of Dean and Stroud and another in the east with Cheltenham, Cotswolds, and Tewkesbury.

And the third option is a city-based unitary council based around a ‘Greater Gloucester’ area along with one or two unitaries for the rest of the county area.

Councillor Tim Gwilliam (Progressive Independents), the former leader of Forest of Dean District Council, said they “cannot be left to be the poor relation again”.

He said some of the discussion around council reorganisation reminded him of Depeche Mode’s 1983 hit song Everything Counts.

“I’m reminded, because of my vintage, of a Depeche Mode song which goes ‘the grabbing hands, grab all they can’ when I see leaders of Gloucester City Council who want to claim parts of places around them and I see Cheltenham Borough Council issuing reports they haven’t shown to other people.

“I’m pleased the leader, cabinet and officers are taking a forward thinking view from the Forest of Dean. We can’t be left just to be left to be the poor relations again. There’s an element of that going on.

“People are seeing Cyber Central, an investment that has been going on for a long time, which we have been part of getting for other areas and they are trying to syphon it off for themselves.

“I think it’s sickening. If we are in it together, we are in it together.

“But don’t try and kid us to get our leader to sign joint statements and letters that we have got to work together and then go off and do your own thing – because that’s just pathetic.”

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Put upon

Councillor John Francis (I, Longhope and Huntley) said the district has a long history of standing up for itself and making its voices heard.

“We also have a history of being put upon and shut out of the way,” he said.

“We have got to look at this as an opportunity to be the Forest of Dean District.

“If we don’t like what other people are doing, let’s stand up for ourselves and say we don’t like it.

“We don’t think it benefits us, our ward members and the people who live here. Let’s not be afraid to put our point on it and stand by what we believe.”

Councillor Shaun Stammers (L, Mitcheldean, Ruardean and Drybrook) asked if a referendum could be held on independence from Gloucestershire and joining Wales. “I’m voting”, he said.

“Next we should have a motion to declare independence from Gloucestershire and have a referendum to see if the people want to be part of Wales.”

'Disgraceful'

Councillor Julia Gooch (Progressive Independents, Newent and Taynton) said it was “very disgraceful” that MPs across the county jumped in and wrote letters” supporting council shake up proposals “without even consulting the public”.

Council leader Adrian Birch (G, Tidenham) said the council should not support any of the three proposals at this stage.

He said they were being “rather forced” to sign the letter and said the there needs to be more public involvement on the proposals.

“We should see what happens over the course of the next six to nine months,” he said.

“We have to provide a further document in November which works up what we as a group of councils have agreed.

“There’s a strong need to involve the public in that decision process. I’m sure we all have strong reservations about why this is taking place. We need to be shown to be taking action.

“But at the same time we should not forget our heritage and the very nature of what we stand for.”