England risks drifting into a fragmented local governance system unless ministers set out a clear long-term plan for devolution, new research from the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) and Local Partnerships has found.
The Looking to 2050 report says that while strategic authorities hold major potential, their purpose remains undefined. Surveyed leaders expressed ‘strong support’ for a regional tier but ‘no settled understanding’ of its core role.
The report recommends a system where councils lead frontline services, strategic authorities coordinate region-wide priorities such as transport, housing and economic development, and central government provides stable frameworks and multi-year, integrated funding.
Introducing Looking to 2050, Adele Gritten, chief executive of Local Partnerships, warns that without long-term design the current reforms risk ‘hard-wiring ambiguity’ into England’s governance for decades.
Calling devolution ‘a crossroads’, the report urges urgent action, clearer roles, integrated funding settlements and stronger regional collaboration to build a coherent system fit for 2050.
Want to learn more about local government reorganisation? Check out: Local Government Reorganisation: What It Means and Why It Matters.
