BASILDON Council has voted to oppose a devolution deal if it is implemented across the county, arguing that it will not benefit the region.

A scheme is currently being considered that would see the government give more power to the regions.

Southend-on-Sea City Council, Thurrock Council and ECC have, along with the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, agreed to work toward a 'level 2′ devolution deal – which if agreed, would involve creating a new Greater Essex Combined Authority.

Essex county Council's leader Cllr Kevin Bentley is supporting the restructuring which will enable county-wide improvements to transport networks and adult education.

At a recent meeting of Basildon District Council Cllr Phil Turner presented his motion suggesting the administration sends a letter to the county authority which "calls for a stop to devolution" as proposed by Essex County Council.

Cllr Turner said: "The government will tell you that they are putting destiny in our hands. It's devolving powers down to local government level, and with these powers comes responsibility."

Cllr Turner described an initial £20 million cash injection promisefor the region by the government as simply an "inducement" and a "sweetener", and that although Essex County Council had "deemed that it would be able to cut through the bureaucracy" of a devolved local government, it was money which was firmly within the council's grasp already.

Despite admitting that he had previously been an advocate for devolution in Essex while leading Basildon Council between 2014 and 2017, and being enticed by what was presented as a "growth agenda", Cllr Turner said: "ECC wanted development, development, development… and district and borough councils weren't necessarily going to be able to choose what that development was.

"ECC's pitch is that that we who are opposing devolution now are being hysterical."

He went on to describe ECC seeking a devolution deal as "sprats catching mackerel", suggesting that a small risk for the central authority would reap benefits, but that they had no guarantee of positively affecting Basildon long-term.

"What is being offered can already be achieved without a combined authority… another tier of government is just going to cause more taxpayers' money to be siphoned off when we least need it," he said.

Speaking specifically on plans to improve transport and road networks, Cllr Turner said that the A13 and Southend Arterial roads – which help link South Essex to central London – were not highlighted for inclusion within the scheme.

He said that this was evidence that other districts across the region were 'not worried about what goes on in this part of the world', and that in discussions there was 'no mention, no voice… and no seat around the table for Basildon'.

Seconding Cllr Turner's motion, Cllr Craig Rimmer said that the 'indirectness' of governance through devolved power would lead to 'diluted accountability' of the unitary authority Basildon would be absorbed by.

Cllr Kerry Smith described himself as a "Bas-exiteer", saying that "if anything, Basildon Council should be calling for withdrawal from ECC".

He said that the county was too diverse for such a generalised approach, and that different districts did not "have a lot in common from one corner to the other in Essex".

However, council leader Cllr Andrew Baggott and Cllr Andrew Schrader both expressed their understanding of the county council's argument for implementing a devolved local government.

Cllr Baggott said that, although Basildon had become a "third-class citizen" in discussions about what this would mean for the region, devolution as a whole is 'not the devil that some people think it is', and that in any situation it is unlikely that change 'will come without a bureaucratic cost'.

Cllr Turner's motion was passed through a majority vote.