Until 1996 West Lothian was part of a much larger Lothian and Borders Regional Council- which was based far away in Edinburgh.
It had responsibility for the “big stuff” like education and roads while bins and planning belonged to the old West Lothian District Council. The districts had replaced the former town councils which were abolished in a 1973 shake up of Scottish local government.
The situation in West Lothian was complicated more by the fact the Livingston was run by a Development Corporation as a legacy of its founding as a New Town in the 1960s.
West Lothian had both district councillors and regional councillors for the separate institutions.
The new two-tier system proposed has some echoes of the pre-1996 set up.
The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government impacts NHS and other public services and includes proposals that may have implications for local government.
These include replacing all existing councils with regional authorities and introducing a new two-tier system, with community authorities being created also.
The Scottish Government has also confirmed plans to cut the number of health boards providing local services across Scotland.
These proposals are at an early stage and discussions with local government and other public sector partners are expected to continue over the coming months.
Many of the detailed implications for local government are not yet clear. There is no evidence to indicate how the proposed changes would result in more effective services or better outcomes for communities or reduce costs.
While the Scottish Government has set out an overall direction through its Programme for Government and Public Service Reform Strategy, further proposals, engagement and decision-making are expected before any specific changes are implemented.
The Scottish Government has made clear that public service reform will be an important part of its programme for the coming parliamentary term. Further detail is expected to emerge over time and there will inevitably be discussions and debate about what this means for public services across Scotland.
A spokesperson for West Lothian Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week that the council will consider any implications through its normal governance and decision-making arrangements and residents, staff and partners will be kept updated when there is something substantive to share.
They added: “The Scottish Government has indicated that public service reform will be a significant focus over the coming years and that legislation will be brought forward through a proposed Public Service Renewal (Scotland) Bill. We expect further information to emerge as discussions continue between the Scottish Government, local government and other public sector partners.
“For now, our focus remains on the work we do every day to support the people, communities and businesses of West Lothian.”
https://www.gov.scot/publications/programme-government-2026-2031
