New research uncovered by The MJ has revealed that smaller prospective unitaries have the lead over their larger county counterparts.
The MJ has discovered (p19) that the smallest 10 unitaries in England have a higher combined CPA rating than the largest 10.
Among the smallest single tier authorities are three ‘four-star’ councils with a grand total of 28 stars, while the largest 10 have only 21 stars.
The smallest 20 unitaries have 61 stars, while the largest have 51. A report last year (The MJ, 17 May) by the Institute of Local Government Studies at the University of Birmingham concluded that, ‘in CPA terms, there are more ‘excellent’ performers among the smallest-sized new unitaries’.
Exeter City Council’s chief executive, Philip Bostock, said: ‘It has always been a myth that a certain minimum population, often put at about 250,000, is necessary for a unitary authority to be successful and high performing.
‘In fact, evidence has shown for some time that this is not the case. With its track record as an “excellent” authority, its strong finances, and its acknowledged strategic capacity, Exeter, at 122,000 population, will be well placed to position itself among those small but high-performing existing unitary councils.’
Norwich City Council chief executive, Laura McGillivray, said smaller unitary authorities ‘were more attractive’.
‘What you have to do when you are a smaller authority is be lean, fit and close to your community,’ she said. ‘In a place such as Norwich, we know where the deprivation is.
‘In our proposals, we have put schools at the heart of the community, and we are pulling all the layers of government closer together.’
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