Derek Senior
Encyclopedia
Derek Senior was a British
freelance writer principally known for being a member of the Royal Commission on Local Government in England
, chaired by Lord Redcliffe-Maud.
; he then attended Balliol College
, Oxford
. In 1937 he joined the editorial staff of the Manchester Guardian
. After working as a leader writer, reporter and bridge
correspondent, he began to specialise in planning matters, where he built up a reputation as a distinguished specialist journalist. Senior studied the disputes between Manchester
City Council and the Cheshire authorities over overspill housing very closely.
In 1956, commissioned by Cambridgeshire
County Planning Department, he wrote "A Guide to the Cambridge Plan" which explained the detailed planning document in non-technical language; this was thought to have been the first such guide to be published. That year he was made an Honorary Associate Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute
.
. At the national conference of the Town and Country Planning Association
in December 1964, he spoke in favour of the "City Region" as being the only way to make regional planning effective. The next year, he expanded on this theme in a high-profile article in The Political Quarterly
, followed by a book of conference papers called "The Regional City".
Senior was named as a member of the Royal Commission on Local Government in England in May 1966. The proceedings of the Royal Commission were kept confidential, but when it was published on 11 June 1969, the Report was found to include a memorandum of dissent by Senior as long as the main report itself.
However, Senior's dissent had little impact on the public debate about the report. Senior's appearances at many conferences failed to generate support. In his history of the reform of local government, Bruce Wood comments that "Senior's package was too complex to be readily communicable .. and too radical to be readily acceptable".
. In 1975 he was invited by the Herefordshire
Survival Campaign to investigate local government arrangements in Hereford and Worcester
, his alternative to be put to a referendum
in order to oppose the merger of the two counties which had recently taken place. He served as a member of Basildon
Development Corporation between 1975 and 1979.
Senior continued to support regional government, speaking in favour at a meeting of Labour members of the Association of District Councils in June 1976, and arguing that October that devolution
to Scotland risked being defeated by an English backlash unless there was a firm commitment to devolution to the English regions. In 1980 he opposed the choice of Stansted
for London's third airport over Maplin, pointing to the loss of agricultural land and the greater investment in housing, roads and infrastructure needed.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
freelance writer principally known for being a member of the Royal Commission on Local Government in England
Redcliffe-Maud Report
The Redcliffe–Maud Report is the name generally given to the report published by the Royal Commission on Local Government in England 1966–1969 under the chairmanship of Lord Redcliffe-Maud.-Terms of reference and membership:...
, chaired by Lord Redcliffe-Maud.
Early career
Senior attended six elementary schools before going to Manchester Grammar SchoolManchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
; he then attended Balliol College
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. In 1937 he joined the editorial staff of the Manchester Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. After working as a leader writer, reporter and bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
correspondent, he began to specialise in planning matters, where he built up a reputation as a distinguished specialist journalist. Senior studied the disputes between Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
City Council and the Cheshire authorities over overspill housing very closely.
In 1956, commissioned by Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
County Planning Department, he wrote "A Guide to the Cambridge Plan" which explained the detailed planning document in non-technical language; this was thought to have been the first such guide to be published. That year he was made an Honorary Associate Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute
Royal Town Planning Institute
The Royal Town Planning Institute is a body representing planning professionals in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1914.-Members:...
.
Royal Commission
In 1960, Senior left the staff of The Guardian (as it had then become) and became a freelance. He also worked for the Civic TrustCivic Trust
The Civic Trust of England was a charitable organisation founded in 1957. It ceased operations in 2009 and went into administration due to lack of funds/...
. At the national conference of the Town and Country Planning Association
Town and Country Planning Association
The Town and Country Planning Association is England's oldest environmental charity. It was founded as the Garden Cities Association in 1899 by Ebenezer Howard, initially to promote the development of Garden Cities...
in December 1964, he spoke in favour of the "City Region" as being the only way to make regional planning effective. The next year, he expanded on this theme in a high-profile article in The Political Quarterly
The Political Quarterly
The Political Quarterly is a British political journal founded in 1930 by Leonard Woolf, the husband of Virginia Woolf. It is broadly centre-left in outlook, but has published articles by a wide range of political thinkers including William Beveridge, Samuel Brittan, Ernest Gellner, Richard...
, followed by a book of conference papers called "The Regional City".
Senior was named as a member of the Royal Commission on Local Government in England in May 1966. The proceedings of the Royal Commission were kept confidential, but when it was published on 11 June 1969, the Report was found to include a memorandum of dissent by Senior as long as the main report itself.
Memorandum of dissent
The main basis of Senior's dissent was his belief in retaining two tiers of local government. He proposed to create 35 city regions as the upper tier, with 148 directly elected district councils below them. He also advocated indirectly-elected regional councils. Observers noted that the boundaries proposed by Senior paid little regard to those existing.However, Senior's dissent had little impact on the public debate about the report. Senior's appearances at many conferences failed to generate support. In his history of the reform of local government, Bruce Wood comments that "Senior's package was too complex to be readily communicable .. and too radical to be readily acceptable".
Later life
After his duties on the Royal Commission ended, Senior returned to the field of planning. An essay he contributed to "London Under Stress" in 1970 called for more families to be resettled outside London in order to improve life inside; he wanted this move planned by an authority covering an area larger than the Greater London CouncilGreater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
. In 1975 he was invited by the Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
Survival Campaign to investigate local government arrangements in Hereford and Worcester
Hereford and Worcester
Hereford and Worcester was an English county created on 1 April 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972 from the area of the former administrative county of Herefordshire, most of Worcestershire and the county borough of Worcester.It bordered Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands to the...
, his alternative to be put to a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in order to oppose the merger of the two counties which had recently taken place. He served as a member of Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
Development Corporation between 1975 and 1979.
Senior continued to support regional government, speaking in favour at a meeting of Labour members of the Association of District Councils in June 1976, and arguing that October that devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
to Scotland risked being defeated by an English backlash unless there was a firm commitment to devolution to the English regions. In 1980 he opposed the choice of Stansted
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
for London's third airport over Maplin, pointing to the loss of agricultural land and the greater investment in housing, roads and infrastructure needed.