South Holland District Council has called on the Government to reimburse councils for the costs of local government reorganisation after ministers paused the process.
Council leader Cllr Nick Worth said the council had committed significant resources and public money to meet Government deadlines, and was now in an increasingly uncertain position. He warned that residents should not have to foot the bill for a process over which the council had little control.
‘Every pound spent on local government reorganisation is a pound that cannot be invested in the local services that our communities rely upon every day,’ he said.
The council has instructed officers to establish the full cost incurred and will write to the Secretary of State and local MPs. It also wants clarity on the future of reorganisation before any further public money is spent.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: ‘We recognise and appreciate the significant work that councils and partners have undertaken to date. As part of the pause, we will consider how to support areas through the next stage of the process.’
