Get involved and shape the county's future

In the autumn our local councils had to  submit proposals to government for the reorganisation of all our local government bodies – district councils, existing unitaries, county council. It’s all change.

Now I know our local councils in no way agree about what model they prefer –
it’s anywhere between two and five unitary councils across Lancashire.

But I do think their ideal is to be able to send one collective letter to government,
with a whole range of choices, and at least not appearing looking argumentative anymore.

The public will then feedback in spring time’s consultation and government select the final solution next summer.

I don’t know about you, but doesn’t that feel slightly strange? Wouldn’t we, as
businesspeople, have tried to narrow down the choices to maybe two or three that we could live with? If you ask me, it feels like leaving too much to chance,
or to government.

Now as a chamber, I see this as a personal decision. I think the chamber should by and large be neutral, but once the choice is made, we should fight tooth and nail to make sure whatever model is chosen, it’s enacted in the absolute best way for our local economy, providing the best services to our businesses and our people, learning from the best we have, and not taking cost-cutting shortcuts.

So get involved, tell your councillors what you want, which model, how many unitaries, how the areas should come together.

And then, when the time comes, let’s make sure our councils and politicians are in no doubt what services are vital to you, what’s done well where you are, or better somewhere else. Let’s not leave anything to chance – let’s shape our future.