Leith could get its own council under Scottish Government plans to shake up local authorities
New pattern of regional and community authorities proposed across Scotland
Leith could become semi-independent under Scottish Government plans for a major shake-up of local government.
Initial proposals published by the government suggest that the current pattern of Scotland’s councils should be replaced by between six and 10 regional authorities to focus on “strategic decision-making” and, within these, up to 160 community authorities, focused on “local decision-making”.
And Leith could be one of the places to get its own council.
But the same councillors would sit on both types of authority, which the government says would avoid a new layer of bureaucracy.
The discussion document highlights Leith as one of the areas that could benefit under the new arrangements.
It says: “Community authorities would sit within the borders of regional authorities, with the aim that community authorities would see ‘burgh/county/town/district/island’ authorities based on identifiable communities. For example, this could include areas such as Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, or Leith in Edinburgh, or Blairgowrie and Rattray in Perthshire, it could be townships, villages or islands.”
Community authorities would likely have responsibility for householder planning applications, community planning, licensing decisions, as well as management of the historic environment and open space and greenspace, the regeneration of local town centres and the provision and maintenance of local leisure, sport and culture facilities.
And the paper says regional authorities could have “an enhanced role in regional economic development and business support”, including housing, strategic planning, and relevant areas of transport, as well as education and waste and cleansing.
The document argues that in the current structure of local government, some authorities are either too big to be local or too small to be strategic. “That is why the government believes there is a need for regional authorities, alongside more decentralised community authorities.
“We would propose that councillors would continue to be elected at the current ward level, sitting on both the community authority and on the associated regional authority.
“The same overall regional administrative or corporate structures would support both regional and community authorities.”
It says the aim is to have more local decision-making but supported by efficient delivery by regional structures.
And it hints that some powers could be handed down from national to regional level.
“Existing local government responsibilities do not need to be the full extent of regional functions or local devolution.
“As part of the government’s broader commitment to streamline the public sector landscape, there are functions within existing public bodies which could be brought within the regional or local democratic sphere as part of this reform, while acknowledging that every region will have different circumstances.”
Leith operated an independent burgh until 1920 when it was merged with Edinburgh despite an unofficial referendum producing a large majority against amalgamation.
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “Reforming Scotland’s public sector is about delivering the best public services for people across Scotland.
“We need to ensure investment is focused on frontline delivery, with the right staff in the right roles to empower communities and deliver real improvements in public services.
“Some decision making is best delivered at national level and regional level while others better sit closer to communities and we must get that balance right.
“These proposals are intended to provide a starting point to facilitate debate and discussion as we work to deliver reforms that strengthen public services and improve outcomes for the people and communities we serve.”