Anne Crampton: In Hart, the Lib Dems are failing to prepare for local government reorganisation

Cllr Anne Crampton is the Leader of the Conservative Group on Hart District Council

For District Councils like Hart, the challenge is not simply structural change, but we need to prepare for much greater responsibility. New Unitaries will inherit high risk services, complex services alongside tightly constrained budgets. I have been attending LGA briefings on the practicalities of reorganisation and the message from these is that successful reorganisation depends on early, detailed preparation in spite of the uncertainty of not yet knowing how large these unitaries will be in Hampshire. However, uncertainty should not mean inertia and though Hampshire has felt that it should be cautious before engaging with us fully in the process, from the perspective of District Councils like mine, it is deeply unhelpful.

At Hart District Council, there is little appetite from the Community Campaign Hart/Liberal Democrat administration to begin serious preparatory work. This administration seems to regard this restructuring as something that will happen later, once structures are finalised. This attitude is typical of them and this approach risks leaving Hart not as a driver of reorganisation but a follower subject to whatever is imposed upon us.

Like many District Councils, Hart faces a growing budget deficit and risks running down our reserves to maintain services and whatever is left will be part of the new Unitary’s financial resources and risks future services just when they are needed most.

Concerns about Hart’s preparedness are based upon this administration’s past performance. The delay in producing a new local plan have left Hart exposed to uncertainty and weakened its ability to to shape development not only now but over the next two years. If an administration fails to deliver according to its own timetable, it is reasonable to question how well placed it is to manage a far more complex transition.

What we need now is a more open and urgent conversation between councils, Hampshire and with residents about the risks as well as the opportunities. Early preparation should begin even in the absence of any final decision on the composition of the new Unitaries. Local government reorganisation will reshape public services which should last for years to come. Whether it succeeds will depend on the quality of preparation. Councils that begin early confront difficult truths and plan honestly will give their residents the best chance of a smooth transition. Hart could lead the way but only if they begin now and not continue with excuses for delaying.