Latest news with #reorganisation
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Concerns Peterborough will lose identity if councils merge
Options for a new-look council system have been discussed as part of local government re-organisation seven authorities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have been working together to identify viable options, which could see Peterborough merge with neighbouring councillors are arguing for a "Greater Peterborough" option, which would see Peterborough merge with part of northern Huntingdonshire only, to help it preserve the city's discussions follow a national government requirement to replace district, county and city councils with a simpler unitary, single-council system. Original plans put forward by the county's councils suggested there should be two new unitary authorities covering the whole county, with different options being North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling and Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes - both Labour - expressed concerns that including Peterborough as part of a "mega council" would make it harder for local areas to focus on their own needs and proposed there should be three councils across Cambridgeshire, with one based on Greater Cambridge, one based on Greater Peterborough and one focusing on rural Mid Cambridgeshire, the Local Democracy Reporting Service would see Peterborough merge with part of northern Huntingdonshire. At a full council meeting on Wednesday, the options were discussed and while a number of members supported the Greater Peterborough option, Conservative group leader Wayne Fitzgerald labelled it "opportunistic" and "last-minute".He said: "In Fenland, they'll have a completely different view to us. In Huntingdon, they don't want anything to do with us whatsoever, the liberals would rather go south. So, I suspect what will happen is this will be imposed upon us."A final proposal is set to be submitted at the end of November and the government will then decide how the councils should be councils are expected to be in place from April 2028. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
New Forest District Council to spend £500k on restructure plans
A council has earmarked an additional £350,000 on planning for local government part of the restructuring of local government, New Forest District Council is backing a proposal that would see it form part of a new Mid-Hampshire unitary Conservative-run authority said a total of £500,000 was "required to support the council's work" as part of the councillors said it was a "pay day" for consultants. The restructuring of local government will see district and borough councils scrapped and the creation of new unitary options have been proposed for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with the New Forest District Council preferring to combine with Test Valley, East Hampshire, and Davis, Liberal Democrat ward councillor for Pennington, told a meeting of the council that funds should directly benefit residents."We are being sucked into having an argument when we could be focusing on our residents."Consultancies were having a pay day," he added,Jeremy Heron, portfolio holder for finance and corporate, defended the financial planning. "We are not squirreling money away, but we do carry out prudent and manageable reserves."The Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) reserve fund is not a huge reserve."A council spokesperson said: "The council's devolution and LGR reserve is intended for one-off expenditure that is required to support the council's work in this area."It includes specific commissions such as consultants and engagement work but also fixed-term resources."Of the funds already allocated, £32,534 has been spent so included £6,333 contributed to a joint effort with 12 other councils to develop a case for government. The funding part pays for work with consultancy firm KPMG. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Ubisoft unveils 'Creative Houses' model as first-quarter bookings miss expectations
July 22 (Reuters) - France's lead videogame maker Ubisoft ( opens new tab announced on Tuesday a sweeping reorganisation of its internal structure, shifting to autonomous "Creative Houses" tailored to specific gaming genres, as it reported first-quarter net bookings that fell short of expectations. The company said in a call that the leadership of each Creative House would be selected based on specific gaming genres, and could include those from creative or technical backgrounds, as part of the new approach. "These units will reflect our diverse types of gaming experiences and will allow for enhanced quality, focus, autonomy and accountability," CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot said in a statement. The first such unit, jointly owned with China's Tencent ( opens new tab, will manage flagship franchises including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. Co-CEOs Christophe Derennes and Charlie Guillemot will lead brand development across multiple platforms. Ubisoft plans to roll out the full organisational changes by the end of the year. The company reported first-quarter net bookings of 281.6 million euros ($305.7 million), missing its target of around 310 million euros and marking a 2.9% decline from the same period of last year. It attributed the shortfall to a weaker-than-expected performance from the Rainbow Six Siege game and the delay of a partnership now expected in the second quarter. Despite the miss, Ubisoft reiterated its full-year guidance and forecast second-quarter net bookings of approximately 450 million euros. Upcoming releases include Anno 117: Pax Romana, a Prince of Persia remake, and mobile titles Rainbow Six Mobile and The Division Resurgence.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Local council reorganisation: alternative suggestion put forward
An alternative idea for how the county of Hampshire could be carved up for new unitary councils has been put 14 councils in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are to be scrapped and new authorities created under local government reorganisation of the 14 councils are consulting on plans for five new councils but the leaders of Hampshire county and East Hampshire have backed an alternative model which sees the mainland split into three and the Isle of Wight stays alone. Cllr Nick Adams-King, leader of Hampshire county, said it was the only way to make sure "the new councils were resilient and sustainable and don't go bust within a short amount of time". Under this plan, there is a South East council including Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport and Isle of Wight stays alone - both of those are the same as the alternative difference is with the north and mid council which includes Basingstoke, Hart, Rushmoor and South East council merges Southampton with Eastleigh, the New Forest and Test can read about the other consultation here - people can respond to both. A consultation launched on Monday for people to have their say on this plan, which Hampshire say will save £50m. "I admit it is confusing and I'm sorry that is the case," said Mr Adams-King, "but it's really important for people to tell us what they value as Hampshire county council provide 85% of services in the county". He added the solution the councils come up with has to make sure the most vulnerable people are protected and looked after even though "change is coming". However there is opposition to the plans amongst other local authorities.A joint statement has been published by Eastleigh Borough Council, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Fareham Borough Council, Hart District Council, Havant Borough Council, Isle of Wight Council, New Forest District Council, Portsmouth City Council, Rushmoor Borough Council, Southampton City Council, Test Valley Borough Council and Winchester City said: "Hampshire County Council has published its case for a future of only three, large-scale, councils across the county."Their proposal risks creating remote, oversized councils, cut off from the places and people they serve. Our communities deserve better."Cllr Martin, Leader of Fareham Borough Council, said: "I believe that localism is a crucial factor in any proposed change, helping to create a sense of home and belonging within the new council areas."So, while the proposed south-east cluster is reasonable, the same cannot be said for the north which ranges from Basingstoke to Rowlands Castle, or the south-west with areas as disparate as New Milton, Southampton and Andover." Hampshire's councils are being told by central government to happening alongside a devolution bid for a mayoral combined authority which is being supported by Hampshire county, Portsmouth city, Southampton city and Isle of Wight MCCA (Mayoral County Combined Authority) is set to come into operation in May government reorganisation will take another year. Each council needs to submit its plan for local government reorganisation by 26 September 2025. The government will then assess the options, put two or three out for public consultation and then make a final new councils would come into operation in May 2027. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cambridgeshire MPs put forward alternative council proposal
Cambridgeshire MPs have put forward alternative proposals for local government re-organisation, which they say would protect "what makes Peterborough great".Original plans put forward by the county's eight councils suggested there should be two new unitary authorities covering the whole county, with different options being Labour MPs Andrew Pakes and Sam Carling said this was not in the best interests of Peterborough, and have made their own suggestion. They want a "Greater Peterborough" area, along with a "Greater Cambridge" and a "Mid Cambridgeshire" authority. The proposal will be considered by Peterborough City Council at a full council meeting on Wednesday. The changes are happening because the government announced it wants all local councils to become unitaries. Currently, Cambridgeshire operates under a two-tier system, with a county council in charge of things like social care, education and local highways. Smaller district councils then look after planning, bin collections and social housing. Peterborough already operates as a unitary authority, with a population of about 220,000. The government has previously indicated it wants each authority to oversee at least 500,000 residents in with a large amount of growth in the area, some people think there could be an argument for authorities to be slightly Carling, the MP for North West Cambridgeshire, said he believed the three-council model would be best for residents. "A Mid Cambridgeshire council would allow rural areas across East Cambridgeshire, Fenland and parts of Huntingdonshire to form an authority that can deliver effectively on residents' priorities, while a Greater Peterborough council encompassing the most high-growth areas of northern and western Cambridgeshire could better regulate and plan that growth."Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes said: "Putting Peterborough into a mega council would make it harder to attract investment and focus on the challenges we have as a city."He thinks a Greater Peterborough council "would allow a renewed focus on protecting what makes Peterborough great". He said it would also ensure there was "a local lens on areas in western Huntingdonshire", which would not be "lost or swallowed up into a super-council covering a huge geographical area". Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
