2024 Local government - Councils and London

Introduction to Local Government Roles and Structure

Current Context and Referendums: - Since the $2016$ EU referendum, there has been significant debate regarding referendums as a method for making difficult decisions. - Discussion point: Consideration of whether referendums would be effective for local-level decisions, such as determining specific days for bin collection.

The Relationship Between Central and Local Government

Central Government Overview: - Led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer (and historically referenced in context of Prime Minister Theresa May). - Holds the most power in the UK political system. - Decides on issues of national importance, such as Brexit and military use.
Political Hierarchy: - Political power is held by the central government. - Central government grants power to local governments. - Local government bodies cannot act beyond the specific powers granted to them by the central government.
Devolution: - Definition: The transfer of power to a lower level. - Power has been devolved to local councils so decisions on local issues can be made at a more local level.

Types of Local Authorities in England

There are five primary types of local authorities:

County Councils: - Cover the whole country. - Provide $80 \%$ of services in these areas. - Responsible for children’s services and adult social care.
District Councils: - Cover smaller areas. - Provide more local services such as housing, local planning, waste, and leisure. - They do not handle children’s services or adult social care. - Can be titled district, borough, or city councils.
Unitary Authorities: - A single level of local government responsible for all local services within an area. - Can be titled council, city council, or borough council.
London Boroughs: - There are $32$ separate London boroughs (e.g., Westminster, Harrow, Hillingdon). - Each of the $32$ boroughs is a unitary authority.
Metropolitan Districts: - These are also unitary authorities. - The name originates from the $1973$ re-organization of local councils. - Can be called metropolitan, borough, or city councils.
Combined Authorities: - Since the establishment of the Greater Manchester authority in $2011$ , groups of councils have formed combined authorities in certain areas of England. - They receive additional powers and funding from central government. - These are particularly important for transport and economic policy across their respective regions.

Powers and Services of Local Councils

Local councils oversee a wide array of public services, categorized as follows:

Education: Local schooling and educational services.
Transport and Highways: - Highways. - Transport Planning. - Passenger Transport.
Planning and Housing: - Strategic Planning. - Planning Applications. - Housing.
Health and Social Care: - Social Care. - Environmental Health.
Community and Leisure: - Leisure and Recreation. - Libraries.
Environmental Services: - Waste Collection. - Waste Disposal.
Finance: - Local Tax Collection.

Case Study: Planning Application at Ruislip High School

Address: Ruislip High School, Sidmouth Drive, Ruislip.
Project Description: Provision of a new three-storey linked building, accommodating school hall, Sixth Form centre, classrooms, staff and ancillary facilities; single-storey extension to changing rooms; enhancement of the central courtyard with associated hard and soft landscaping; additional cycle storage; and ancillary development.
Identifying References: - LBH Ref Nos: $64322/APP/2017/3185$ . - Report of the Head of Planning, Sport and Green Spaces.
Associated Documentation and Reports: - Planning Statement: Prepared by Batcheller Monkhouse (August $2017$ ). - Site Investigation (Phase 2): Prepared by Albury S.I. Ltd (March $2017$ ). - Underground CCTV Survey: $12306b_CCTV\,2$ . - Arboricultural Constraints Report: Prepared by SES (October $2015$ ). - Flood Risk Assessment (FRA): Prepared by Ambiental (May $2017$ ). - Air Quality Assessment: Prepared by Aether (July $2017$ ). - Energy Statement: Prepared by Arcadis (August $2017$ ). - Tree Survey & Protection Plan: $1\,Rev.A$ . - Arboricultural Impact Assessment: Prepared by SES (28/08/ $17$ ). - Ecological Appraisal: Prepared by EPR (August $2017$ ). - Transport Assessment: Prepared by Local Transport Projects (August $2017$ ). - Travel Plan: Prepared by Local Transport Projects (August $2017$ ).

Local Government in London

London utilizes a unique two-tier structure differing from the rest of the country:

Borough Councils: - $32$ separate boroughs handle local services (sport, leisure, education, waste collection).
The Mayor of London: - Role held by Sadiq Khan (Labour) since $2016$ (succeeded Boris Johnson). - A mayoral election and London Assembly election occurred on May 6, $2024$ . - Responsibilities: Transport, planning and development, housing, economic development, regeneration, environment (climate change/air quality), culture, and tourism. - Financial Duties: Sets the annual budget for: - Transport for London (TfL). - The Metropolitan Police. - The London Fire Brigade.
The Greater London Assembly (GLA): - Consists of two parts: The an elected Mayor and an Assembly. - The Assembly: Consists of $25$ elected members who hold the Mayor to account. - Sub-authorities within GLA: - Transport for London (TfL). - The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA). - Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC).

Council Operations and Accountability

The Council Structure: - Full Council: Made up of all elected councillors. They debate and decide policy based on committee reports. - Committees: Monitor council performance and decision-making; hold the council to account. - Cabinet: The majority party/group appoints a Leader of the council who works with a small group of councillors responsible for specific service areas. - Leader or Elected Mayor: The government encourages directly elected mayors as a condition for granting more power.
The Role of Councillors: - Elected for a term of four years to represent people in a local area. - They must balance the needs of the local community, voters, their political party, and council policy.
Mechanisms of Accountability: 1. Code of Conduct: Ensures councillors declare any interests related to their duties. 2. Elections: Councillors are accountable to electors and can be voted out. 3. Local Media: Plays a vital role in monitoring and holding councillors to account.

Funding for Councils

Councils require significant funding to operate. For example, Hillingdon Borough Council spent $£216 \text{ million}$ last year.

Primary Funding Sources: 1. Direct Charges: Payments for services like leisure centre entry. 2. Government Grants: Benefits poorer communities that receive less through local taxation. 3. Council Tax: Direct taxation of local residents.

Regional Government in England Debate

Arguments in Favor: - Provides English regions with more influence. - Ensures decisions are made by elected representatives from that specific region. - Enables central government to devolve power away from London. - Coordinates local authority work more effectively within a region.
Arguments Against: - Regional government is expensive. - May

The provided paragraph is well-structured and addresses several key functions of local councils, making it suitable for evaluation criteria. It concisely covers the main areas of responsibility, such as transport services, education, health and social care, environmental services, and community engagement. Importantly, it discusses the impact of these services on residents' quality of life and mentions funding sources, which adds depth to the response. Given these elements, this answer would likely receive 8 out of 8 marks based on AQA criteria, provided it meets the specific word count and clarity requirements set by the exam board.