BCP Council votes to join the 'Heart of Wessex' by combining with Dorset, Wiltshire and councils for governments devolution plans

BCP Council has voted to join forces with Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset authorities in a devolution deal.

An extraordinary meeting was held to discuss the government’s English Devolution White Paper, which details proposals for major local government reorganisation under which the current mix of two-tier systems and unitary authorities is set to be replaced by larger unitary councils delivering all services.

Like Hampshire County Council, BCP has now signed up to be in the government’s fast-track devolution programme.

The other option on the table was to link up with Hampshire County Council, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, the meeting heard, but leader Cllr Millie Earl said becoming part of the proposed Heart of Wessex Combined Authority was the best way forward.

She told members: “Devolution is absolutely central to the government’s ambition for economic growth, strategic decision making and accountability.

“I welcome devolution. I do not welcome the way in which the government has put us in this position. But if we close the door at this point, we lose any control or influence over an emerging strategic authority, and we will end up being forced by a ministerial directive into one or the other.”

She was supported by Highcliffe’s Cllr Andy Martin, although he said the subject of devolution was “an incredibly divisive issue.”

He continued: “I don’t think we want to be an outlier. We need to be bold, we need to be ambitious. We need to be in at the start, as the leader has said, otherwise, we lose our influence. We lose the ability to shape what this might become.”

Cllr Earl told the meeting she had submitted “an expression of interest” for BCP to remain a standalone authority. “That best represents our urban, functional economic geography, and gives the strongest opportunity to harness the enormous potential of our businesses, people and our places,” she said.

“We are three towns that together rival cities across the UK, with our three universities, an FE college, an airport, amazing seafront, an active porting pool, a Premier League football club, multiple SSIs, a conference centre, and six national portfolio organizations. We have a lot to be proud of.

“We explained how we could help the government deliver their aims for growth and productivity, despite our population being under 500,000, as we are a very clearly defined, functional economic area that punches well above its weight.”

However, the government has ruled the proposed strategic authorities must have a population of more than 1.5-million, which put paid to BCP’s ambition to stand on its own.

Cllr Philip Broadhead said he too believed BCP had the “ambition, the vision and the size to go it alone”.

“That would have been my preferred model as well,” he said. “However, it is pretty clear that the government has taken that completely off the table.

“So I am going to completely agree with her [Cllr Earl’s] comments and the motion that she’s put forward on this particular issue. This is too important to be too political.”

“I think the second point that I would agree with the leader on is staying out of this is simply not an option. The government has also made it clear in the white paper that there are no devolution islands available. We are not allowed to be left behind. They’re going to do this to everybody.”

Some councillors were against the move to be part of the Heart of Wessex model, though, with deputy leader Cllr Mike Cox saying the deal “stinks of desperation”.

“You may have to call me a grumpy old cynic, because I disagree with this,” he said. “Have you noticed for instance that the government seemed to be in trouble and suddenly waved this big, shiny thing and said, ‘Oh you know, look at this.’

“This is going to cause an awful lot of trouble. As far as I’m concerned, there is no consultation, there is no detail given, and there is no common sense.

“This deal stinks. It stinks of desperation. There are no advantages, in my opinion, of being in this first wave. There is just a massive distraction from what we are doing at BCP. At the moment, we are making really good progress in BCP, and this is going to take us right off in a different direction.”

Cllr Steve Bartlett also said he was against being a part of the priority devolution programme, saying: “I’m absolutely delighted to hear Cllr Cox’s comments, because I’d like him to know that there are two grumpy old cynics in the room, and I agree with every single word that he’s just articulated.

“We’re clearly being bulldozed into making this knee-jerked decision and we’re being asked to accept the inevitable. Well, I don’t agree.”

Councillors voted 51 to eight, with two abstentions, to accept the motion.