Council leaders urge Scottish government to rethink local authority reform plans
Local authority organisation Cosla has called on ministers to revise proposals that would replace Scotland's 32 councils with regional and community bodies.
Ornate sandstone municipal building with a green dome and flagpoles against a clear blue sky. Stock image · Photograph: Photo by Chenoa Liu on Unsplash
Scottish council leaders have urged the Scottish government to rethink its plans to overhaul local authorities across the country. Ministers have proposed replacing the existing 32 councils with between six and 10 large regional bodies alongside more than 100 smaller local authorities, with separate arrangements for island areas.
Following a meeting of all 32 council leaders, local authority organisation Cosla said altering structural boundaries alone would not resolve existing challenges. The body argued that changes should begin with the current 32 councils, increasing regional collaboration and sharing capacity rather than creating new regional authorities, with any mergers occurring only through voluntary local consent.
Cosla president Shona Morrison recognised that public services require change, but stated that the government's current proposals and engagement approach need a rethink. The organisation also questioned the role of having more than 130 community bodies and called instead for a whole-system review of responsibilities across councils, Holyrood, the NHS, and national agencies.
Finance and funding guarantees have also been highlighted by Cosla as essential requirements from the start of discussions, including council tax reform. Cosla stated that reform discussions cannot be separated from the Scottish government's upcoming budget at the start of December.
Talks are scheduled for next week between Cosla leaders, First Minister John Swinney, and Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth, who also serves as finance secretary. Under the government's plans, regional authorities would handle matters such as education, waste collection, and major planning, while community bodies would manage issues including licensing and town centres.