The Government has confirmed that Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council, and Thurrock Council have been accepted into the Devolution Priority Programme. However, with past council mergers leading to job creation at taxpayers’ expense while services were cut, residents are questioning whether this will provide real long-term benefits.

The councils wrote to the Government on 10 January requesting inclusion in the programme, pledging to undertake local government reorganisation. As a result, the Government has announced that the elections scheduled for May this year for Essex County Council and Thurrock Council will be suspended.

Cllr Kevin Bentley, leader of Essex County Council, welcomed the decision, stating:

“I am thrilled that our hard work to bring devolution to Essex has paid off and we are a step closer to seeing real positive change in our county. We welcome the government’s acceptance of our request and eagerly await next steps. I truly believe devolution is the best choice for our county’s future. It is the biggest chance we will get to rethink our system and bring more power into the hands of local people. This will mean more opportunities for our residents and businesses that will help them and our whole county flourish.”

However, given the history of costly council restructuring, where taxpayer money was spent on severance pay-offs and additional administrative roles rather than front-line services, many residents are sceptical about whether this will truly deliver improvements.

Cllr Daniel Cowan, leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council, described the announcement as a ‘milestone’:

“Devolution will be momentous, bringing more powers and funding into the area, and allowing us to deliver major projects, better services, and improve the lives of local people and businesses. I look forward to continuing to work hard to deliver on this.”

Yet, past promises of ‘better services’ following council mergers have often resulted in higher costs and declining service levels, leading taxpayers to question how different this reorganisation will be.

Thurrock Council’s leader, Cllr John Kent, said:

“This is really exciting news for our county, and I’m looking forward to working with our neighbours in Essex County Council and Southend-on-Sea City Council to flesh out our plans for devolution. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Thurrock to become part of something bigger and to help shape a future that is right for local people. They deserve better than the failures of the past, and I can’t wait to start work on a plan that makes sense, has our communities at its heart and will help shape excellent services for years to come.”

While council leaders paint a positive picture, Essex taxpayers remain concerned that devolution could merely lead to further job creation within councils, expensive severance packages when roles are restructured, and yet another example of Whitehall-imposed changes that fail to deliver real savings or service improvements.