The leader of the Liberal Democrats on Wiltshire Council has slammed a devolution document submitted to the government, saying he suspected a “five-year-old” in the cabinet office had written it.

In response to a government request for expressions of interest in devolution, Wiltshire Council has proposed exploring the ‘Heart of Wessex’ concept, which would link Wiltshire, Dorset and Somerset Councils together in a devolution partnership.  

This decision was discussed at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, October 8, during which Lib Dem leader Ian Thorn claimed there had been insufficient discussion in the process.

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Cllr Richard Clewer said the solution had to be one that benefits Wiltshire.Cllr Richard Clewer said the solution had to be one that benefits Wiltshire. (Image: Wiltshire Council) Wiltshire Council’s leader Richard Clewer described it as “the most sensible way forward” and argued that there was no point in consulting the people of Wiltshire before receiving more clarity from the government.

Cllr Thorn said: “It just seems to me there has been so little discussion, so little debate.

“Even your cabinet, as far as I’m aware publicly, weren’t involved in any of the conversations that have gone on, certainly the council wasn’t aware of any of the conversations that have gone on, and much more importantly, the people of Wiltshire haven’t been aware, and aren’t aware, and aren’t engaged in this process.

“Looking at the expression of interest document, frankly a five-year-old, I suspect, sitting in the cabinet office created that piece of paper.

“The amount of information it asks for is negligible.”

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He added: “The fact that we’re trying to encourage but have seemingly failed to encourage Swindon to engage with us, given that Swindon from a Wiltshire point of view is the principal economic generator in terms of larger businesses, economic activity and of course sits on the critical M4 corridor, I think is unfortunate.”

Cllr Clewer explained that the government had asked for a “very simple expression of interest” indicating which partners the council would consider working with for devolution.

He said: “What we can tell the people of Wiltshire at the moment is that the government has asked us to tell them a preferred footprint, a preferred geography, to look at devolution and whether we want a mayoral model or not.

“The preferred geography that we have come up with after discussion with our neighbours is to explore this idea of the Heart of Wessex, and we don’t want a mayoral model.”

He added that defining an economic footprint outside of a city is “incredibly difficult” and that there is no single economic area from a rural context to define devolution.

According to Cllr Clewer, without further clarity from government, there is no “further way forward”.