Merger with Flintshire rejected (again) by Wrexham Council

Councillors have voted to submit feedback, that includes strong statements against Welsh Government proposals to merge Wrexham and Flintshire Councils, via a formal consultation response from the local authority “strongly opposing” any future reorganisation plans.

The comments from Wrexham Council come after plans to merge the two neighbouring authorities resurfaced earlier this year, despite seemingly being shelved in 2016.

In March 2018 Wrexham.com reported that the Welsh Government had launched a ‘Green Paper’ consultation, which set out a series of potential options for local authorities across Wales. These included ‘voluntary mergers’, to a phased approach with early adopters merging first, followed by other authorities, to a ‘comprehensive merger programme’.

As with proposals put forward in 2014 the ‘Green Paper’ outlined how the 22 existing local authorities across Wales could be reduced to just 10. Locally this would include the merging of Wrexham and Flintshire Councils – something which infamously opposed four years ago.

Last week at the annual meeting of council, councillors had the opportunity to vote on a formal response to be submitted to the Green Paper consultation.

In its response Wrexham Council says it “strongly opposes any future reorganisation of the authority on the basis proposed”; suggesting an ‘enlarged Wrexham’ taking in areas of north Powys and Denbighshire would be preferred.

Speaking last week, Leader of Wrexham Council Mark Pritchard described the situation of council mergers as a “mess”.

He said: “I never thought I would be sitting here as leader of this council discussing white paper and green paper and the reforming of local organisation again, but I am we are where are. Shifting times, shifting ties and everything changes. I don’t know where this will end up.

“There were two workshops in April. Obviously the first minister decided to stand down so there might be a change of politics within Cardiff, I don’t know. There may a reorganisation or there might not. I haven’t got a crystal ball.

“Where we are going I haven’t a clue. I don’t think the leaders of the other 21 authorities know either. I think it is a mess and I hope it sorts itself out sooner rather than later and that common sense prevails at the end of all this.

“This is for us to endorse the two workshops we had. These are not my words, they are your, you as a council went to workshop and put concerns and everything there, this has been put together and this is our reply and response from yourselves to Welsh Government.”

Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Dana Davies, said: “Whilst the Labour Group don’t agree with every single comment in the response, we accept it is the collective response of 52 councillors or rather the councillors that attended the two workshops. Therefore we will be supporting it.”

The response was backed unanimously by members of Wrexham Council.

The Welsh Government is inviting members of the public and organisations are being invited to have their say in the Green Paper consultation and the proposals for local authorities across Wales.

The consultation process closes on June 12th and you can have your say here.