GOVERNMENT plans to create regional assemblies have met a lukewarm response from Swindon Council leader Mike Bawden who claims the new system would be no more responsive to local needs than decision makers based in London.
Under the scheme, important decisions about Swindon, including issues of economic development, regeneration, planning, transport, housing sport and culture would be made by a South West Regional assembly.
The South West assembly would be one of eight such organisations in England, which will control budgets of hundreds of millions of pounds.
Mr Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawns) said: "If we have regional government in the South West then a tier of local government has to disappear and that probably means county councils.
"As a unitary authority, Swindon Council would not be hit by that.
"Personally, I don't think a South West regional assembly would work because it is a huge region geographically.
"If you had an assembly in Devon, people in Devon would not understand Swindon's issues any better than they do in London, so I cannot see regional government being of any advantage to Swindon whatsoever."
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