The Government’s preferred plan for reorganising local government in Lancashire, which would merge Burnley with four neighbouring councils including Blackburn with Darwen, has been denounced by Burnley Council’s leader as "nothing short of a disaster".
Leader criticises handling and composition of new authority
Independent leader Coun. Afrasiab Anwar criticised both the way the announcement was communicated and the proposed makeup of the new unitary authority, which would bring together Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn and Blackburn with Darwen. He said the move forms part of a wider Government shake-up replacing the existing two-tier county and district structure with larger unitary councils.
Coun. Anwar said council staff across Lancashire had learned of the plans via media reports rather than through their own employers. He warned that the process, and the rejection of locally developed proposals, risked damaging confidence and morale among council workers and communities.
"This morning's announcement from Government on the future of local government in Lancashire is nothing short of a disaster. Around 20,000 staff working across Lancashire councils, including all our staff at Burnley Council, should not be finding out about decisions affecting their jobs, their organisations and the future of local government through media reports."
Concerns about scale and balance of proposed unitary
Coun. Anwar also voiced concern that the suggested East Lancashire authority would group together "some of the most deprived and economically challenged communities in the country", while excluding the Ribble Valley, producing what he described as an unbalanced new authority. He warned it could risk becoming "the most deprived in the country" and be "set up to fail from day one."
- Councils proposed to merge: Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn, Blackburn with Darwen
- Staff potentially affected: around 20,000 across Lancashire councils, according to Coun. Anwar
- Process criticised for: poor communication and for sidelining council-developed proposals
What this means locally
The proposed reorganisation would change how local services are delivered and governed across the affected area. Councils and residents in Blackburn with Darwen and the neighbouring districts will seek clarity on how services, budgets and staffing will be managed during any transition. Coun. Anwar’s comments reflect immediate worries over consultation, the distribution of resources and the potential impact on areas of higher deprivation.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Proposed new authority | East Lancashire unitary combining five councils |
| Councils named | Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn, Blackburn with Darwen |
| Staff referenced | Approximately 20,000 council employees across Lancashire |
Local residents and staff groups will be watching closely for further details from Government and for responses from the councils named in the proposal. Councils had previously prepared their own plans for reorganisation; Coun. Anwar has said the work invested by local authorities appears to have been largely disregarded by the Government’s chosen route.
As the story develops InfoRadar will report on formal responses from Blackburn with Darwen Council and neighbouring authorities, the practical implications for services in the borough, and any consultation or transition plans published by Government.
