POLITICIANS say the only loser will be the “Essex taxpayer” if a judicial review goes ahead after the county council leader’s latest criticism of local government reorganisation.
County Hall bosses have accused the government of ignoring and pursuing politically motivated plans related to LGR.
The huge local government shake-up will end the two-tier council system in the county and replace it with single-tier unitary authorities in April 2028.
The county council claims the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government dismissed the preferred three unitary model — deemed the only financially viable option within five years — in favour of creating five new councils.
Peter Harris, leader of Essex County Council, who has already called for LGR to be scrapped, said: "The fact that a Secretary of State was prepared to ignore the advice of highly paid, experienced officials not just from his own department but across Whitehall on a decision affecting 1.7 million Essex residents is beyond staggering and a major embarrassment.
"It is as clear as day that ministers chose to ignore their officials in pursuit of what were clearly political goals, heaping millions of pounds in costs on to taxpayers in the process.”
He claims that unless LGR is scrapped by the government, they will have "no choice" but to launch a judicial review of their decision in the "coming days”.
Paul Dundas is the Tory group leader at County Hall and leader of Colchester Council’s Conservative-Lib Dem coalition.
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He said: “Essex County Council’s position on LGR is confusing to say the least.
“Now, the Reform UK-led Essex County Council seem to be backing the three unitary model or trying to stop it all together in direct contradiction with what they were saying just a couple of months ago.
“There is a wide range of views on LGR, including that it shouldn’t happen, should consist of five councils or should consist of three, but the simple fact is the government have made their decision and in Essex we need to get on with it.
“The Essex County Council legal challenge is just going to waste public money and is about virtue signalling.”
Liberal Democrats group leader Martin Goss said: “The Reform leader of Essex County Council is in cloud cuckoo land.
“Wasting potentially huge amounts of public money from Essex residents should be used to fill pot holes, not for expensive barristers to challenge something which is already agreed.
“The only loser is the Essex taxpayer.”
Labour leader Lee Scordis said: "The hypocrisy is astounding. They are prepared to waste hundreds of thousands of taxpayers' money on a legal challenge they know will fail.
“Residents in Colchester are fed up of a two-tier system and being let down by people based in Chelmsford.
“LGR allows us to have one council that runs all services."
Green party leader Councillor Mark Goacher said: "My view on LGR is that it should never happen.
“I didn’t agree with the three unitary model, I think the five unitary model is the best option if it is to go ahead.
“I would have preferred if they didn’t go down this route in the first place, it removes a layer of local accountability, that is my objection to it.”
Sam McLean, part of the Progressive Independent Alliance on Colchester Council, said: “Having more, rather than fewer, local authorities is better for democracy.
“It helps keep politics local, rather than spreading council resources too far and too thin.
"Combining the district and county tiers also seems rational if the aim is to create a more seamless system of local government.
"But I wish the UK government would go further and use LGR as an opportunity to trial proportional representation, or a mixed electoral system, so residents can be more fairly represented on local councils.”
Once LGR happens, Colchester will merge with Tendring and Braintree to form the new North East Essex Council.
The West Essex Council will include Harlow, Epping Forest, and Uttlesford and the Mid Essex Council will include Brentwood, Chelmsford and Maldon.
Basildon and Thurrock will be in the South West Essex Council and South East Council will include Rochford, Castle Point and Southend.
In theory, LGR aims to help eliminate fragmented public services, reduce duplication of effort and costs, speed up decision-making, and clarify accountability for services.
