Devolution could see the creation of a Three Counties combined authority

Plans for devolution in England could lead to the creation of a Three Counties combined authority with Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire sharing a metro mayor.

That is one of the three main options Gloucestershire County Council leaders are considering, after the Government unveiled plans in December to shake-up local government.

Ministers say the English Devolution white paper would give more powers to local areas. But it also proposes creating more unitary councils which, in Gloucestershire, would mean district councils would be merged with the County Council.

The government is looking at creating unitaries with a population of at least 500,000 and combined authorities areas with a directly elected mayor representing areas with around 1.5 million residents.

County Council leader Stephen Davies (C, Severn and Hardwicke) said the three main options for such a strategic authority includes combining with Hereford and Worcester to the north, joining the West of England Authority (WECA) around Bristol to the south or an option with Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Reading and Swindon to the east.

“We are talking to everybody,” Cllr Davies said.

“Worcestershire have fed back that they want to get to unitary before they go too far down the strategic partnership route. Oxfordshire looks like it’s joining with Berkshire, Reading and Swindon.

“That’s an interesting one. We are still interested in that as an option.

“Obviously there is WECA. There has also been a suggestion of Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire but our understanding having spoken to them is that Wiltshire are committed to Wessex grouping which goes as far as Dorset.

“The general feeling is that it is too big for us to join. The three still in play are north with Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

“Something south with WECA and possibly Oxfordshire but that looks like it would be too far east to join but we’ve not written it off.”

Cllr Davies said conversations are starting with neighbours this month.

And, on January 9, his cabinet is due to endorse the letter of intent he plans to write to ministers and request that the county elections are postponed until 2026/27 while a new unitary authority for Gloucestershire is created.

The idea of some form of combined authority among the Three Counties is also on the table in Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester.

The three traditionally agrarian counties share many links and similarities and have combined total population just under 1.5 million people.

The Three Counties name is referred to in many businesses and a royal agricultural show takes place at its namesake showground in Malvern.

And the Three Choirs Festival of sacred choral music, which has been held since 1724, rotates between the three cathedrals of Worcester, Hereford and Gloucester.

Worcestershire County Council’s Conservative leader Simon Geraghty (Worcester Riverside) said his authority is reviewing the paper in detail and more will be announced this month.

“Discussions will take place with internal and external partners in due course to fully understand the impact of the proposals, in addition to the outcome of the settlement which was also announced this week,” he said.

“We should be in a position to share more on the outlook for the 2025/26 year, early in January”.

It is a similar picture on the other side of the Malverns where Tory leader Jonathan Lester (Three Crosses) says whatever is decided, it must be the right strategic decision for Herefordshire.

He confirmed the authority is in talks with its neighbours but one thing is clear, Herefordshire cannot look west to any partnerships in Wales as ministers will not allow it.

“We are currently assessing what the proposals outlined in the government’s English Devolution White Paper could mean for Herefordshire,” he said.

“We need to make the right strategic decisions for our county and we expect to receive more details in the New Year that will help us further develop our thinking.”

Councillor Terry James (Kington), who leads the Liberal Democrats at Herefordshire Council and led the authority in early 2000s believes there will be a lot of public backlash to local government organisation in the county.

“Nobody is very keen on any of the options,” he said. “They are going to have difficulty.

“The public aren’t going to like it. The idea of a metro mayor doesn’t really work for most of us.

“The most likely option for Herefordshire in some ways is Shropshire as we are already in the local enterprise partnership (LEP) with them.

“But some people like the idea of the Three Counties and their historic association.”

Gloucester City Council’s Liberal Democrat leader Jeremy Hilton (Kingsholm and Wotton) said the idea of creating one council across the Three Counties was considered in 1973 but ultimately abandoned.

He is concerned that local government reorganisation will see Gloucester lose its own council.

“No work has really been done in this part of the world to consider the options for combined authorities which would be these new strategic authorities with an elected mayor,” he said.

“If you look at the options for Gloucestershire there are possibly four or five combinations that would work but again, there has been no assessment over the pros and cons of each one.

“It’s interesting that Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire was going to be in 1973 one county council. There was a lot of opposition.

“In the end Hereford and Worcestershire became a single county council and Gloucestershire became another county council. Of course, Hereford and Worcester later split.

“There was some consideration about it. All these things have to be fully considered. There are a whole load of anomalies with all the options which need to be considered. Anyone rushing into this would be a fool.”