Reorganisation | LocalGov

Rutland residents to have say on reorganisation

14/02/2025

Rutland County Council has agreed to engage with residents on reorganisation plans before a proposal is submitted to the Government.

Call for reorganisation support

14/02/2025

A senior sector figure has called for the Local Government Association (LGA) and Whitehall to offer education and training to those about to go through reorganisation.

Slicing districts could slow reorganisation for fast-track areas

14/02/2025

Cutting across district boundaries to make new unitaries could create a backlog of legislation and boundary reviews that stymies the Government’s reorganisation timetable.

London Councils pushes back on call to halve number of boroughs

12/02/2025

London Councils has hit back after the Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group called for the number of London boroughs to be halved.

Council leaders welcome new combined authority

07/02/2025

Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority has now been formerly established, moving the area closer to unlocking a £400m investment fund.

New Lancashire combined county authority launched

06/02/2025

The new Lancashire combined county authority has officially come into being.

Learning from NHS digital transformation

05/02/2025

Justin Day, CEO and co-founder of Cloud Gateway, considers what local government devolution can learn from NHS digital transformation.

Six areas chosen for devolution fast track

05/02/2025

Six new areas have been chosen to join the Government’s devolution priority programme.

What is local government reorganisation?

04/02/2025

Local government reorganisation is the process of changing the structure, functions and responsibilities of councils.

Medway bids for city status

31/01/2025

The leader of Medway Council has called on the Government to grant Medway city status to prevent reorganisation leading to a ‘significant loss of identity’.

Government has no evidence to support ‘mega councils’, DCN says

31/01/2025

Freedom of Information requests have exposed an ‘alarming’ lack of evidence to support the creation of mega councils, according to the District Councils’ Network (DCN).

Questions over financial impact of reorganisation

30/01/2025

Questions have been raised over whether the Government's approach to local government reorganisation will help resolve the financial crisis facing the sector.

Districts warn against ‘mega councils’

24/01/2025

District councils are prepared to engage with local government reorganisation but warn against ‘rigidly insisting’ on a minimum population of 500,000.

Mayor warns of creating 'behemoths'

22/01/2025

A mayor has warned of creating local government ‘behemoths' overburdened with responsibilities.

Norwich councillors back unitary bid

22/01/2025

Norwich City Council members have voted in favour of pursuing unitary status as part of the Government’s efforts to reorganise local government.

Lincolnshire leaders back local government shake up

22/01/2025

The leaders of three councils in Lincolnshire have proposed reducing the number of local authorities in the county from 10 to two.

Council forced to rethink HQ refurb due to reorganisation plans

21/01/2025

The prospect of local government reorganisation in Hampshire has forced New Forest District Council to rethink a major refurbishment of its headquarters.

Tewkesbury councillors advised to scrap name change

21/01/2025

Officers have recommended that Tewkesbury Borough Council abandons the process of changing its name after local government reorganisation plans were announced.

Rebels with a cause

16/01/2025

The Local Government Association (LGA) has been warned some members could quit over its stance on reorganisation as it faces an internal rebellion.

Ministry confirms 18 councils seeking election postponement

16/01/2025

The Government has officially revealed that it has received requests to postpone elections this year from 18 councils.

Chiefs expecting pressure to spend ahead of reorganisation

15/01/2025

Council chiefs expect to come under intense pressure from leaders to sanction questionable spending before their authority is reorganised out of existence.

Council leader calls for Woking BC debt ‘write off’

14/01/2025

The leader of Surrey County Council has urged the Government to ‘write off’ £1bn of Woking BC's debt to enable the creation of a unitary authority.

LGA: Councils with ‘scarce resources’ need reorganisation support

13/01/2025

Councils that have bid to be on the fast-track for new devolution deals and reorganisation need extra funding and a quick decision on local elections, the LGA says.

Fifteen county areas bid to fast-track devolution and reorganisation

10/01/2025

Fifteen county areas are bidding to be on Labour's fast-track for new devolution deals and local government reorganisation (LGR) with all applying to postpone May elections to make this possible.

Voters ‘set to be deprived of local democracy’

10/01/2025

The District Councils’ Network has warned that millions of voters will be ‘deprived of their local democracy’ due to plans to postpone some county council elections.

McMahon: No cap on devo priority programme

10/01/2025

There will be no cap on the number of areas included in the Government's devolution priority programme, a minister has said.

Rayner rejects reorganisation 'distraction' claim

08/01/2025

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has denied that local government reorganisation will impact on councils' ability to deliver services.

Warwickshire urged not to request election delay

08/01/2025

Four district councils in Warwickshire have urged the county council not to request a delay to its local elections this year.

Devon districts rally against unitarisation

07/01/2025

Devon’s eight district councils have joined forces to oppose the creation of a unitary authority for the county.

Tories set five tests for restructuring

24/12/2024

The Conservatives have set five tests for local government restructure as they hit back at Labour attempts to ‘dictate' to councils over the move.

Herts reorganisation threatens representation, leaders warn

24/12/2024

A single unitary council for Hertfordshire ‘risks diminishing local representation’, local leaders warn.

Exeter to make unitary bid in local government reorganisation

23/12/2024

Exeter City Council is set to make an independent bid for unitary status under the Government’s reorganisation plans.

CCN backs reorganisation

19/12/2024

The chair of the County Councils' Network (CCN), Tim Oliver, has backed radical Government plans to abolish dozens of local authorities by 2027.

What councils would like for Christmas

17/12/2024

Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the LGIU, reflects on the English Devolution White Paper and considers what councils will be asking for this Christmas.

Rayner to launch public sector rewire White Paper

16/12/2024

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner will kick off a huge rewiring of public service reform with the launch of the devolution White Paper in Leeds later today.

Call to break up Scotland’s largest council

12/12/2024

Highland Council members have called for the local authority, Scotland’s largest by geographical area, to be broken up.

Councils brace for reorganisation push

25/11/2024

Six counties in the east of England are expected to be among those at the front of the queue for local government reorganisation, it has been reported.

MPs call for the scrapping of 15 councils

25/11/2024

A group of Labour MPs have called for the abolition of Lancashire’s 15 councils in a bid to simplify local government in the county.

DCN: Reorganisation risks ‘paralysing’ front line services

31/10/2024

Local government reorganisation poses a threat to front line services and represents the ‘opposite of devolution’, district council leaders have warned.

Budget: Reorganisation confirmed in high tax, high spend Budget

30/10/2024

Local government reorganisation – and the efficiency savings it will make – were confirmed in Budget documents today.

EXCLUSIVE: Government to launch full reorganisation

28/10/2024

Plans for full local government reorganisation could be mooted as soon as this week's Budget, The MJ understands.

Councils call on Government to 'back up its rhetoric' on devolution

04/10/2024

Councils have called for the Government to ‘back up its rhetoric' by devolving powers across England.

Future Forum Midlands: Clark points to reorganisation for sector

16/09/2024

Former communities secretary Greg Clark has said local government reorganisation should follow the creation of combined authorities.

The challenges of local government reorganisation

16/09/2024

Guy Clifton, director, Local Government Value for Money, Grant Thornton UK LLP looks at reorganisation lessons from recently established unitary councils.

North Yorkshire aims to build 500 council homes

20/05/2024

North Yorkshire Council has published its first housing strategy, which includes an ambition to build 500 council homes over five years.

Cumberland working to reduce ‘escalating costs’

26/09/2023

Cumberland Council says it is working hard to control ‘escalating costs’, but it is facing a potential overspend of £17.5m.

Manchester 'frustrated' at pace of devolution

08/06/2023

Manchester’s leader has said there is ‘a long way to go’ to meet the city’s devolution ambitions.

New unitary councils set to launch

29/03/2023

New unitary councils being launched this weekend are planning to improve and develop services for their communities.

Lincolnshire districts back unitary idea

28/03/2023

A partnership of three district councils has backed the idea of becoming a unitary to help secure a Lincolnshire-wide devolution deal.

Drop national care plan, say Scottish councils

05/01/2023

Council leaders in Scotland have called for their Government’s plans for a new national care service to be dropped.

Lincolnshire in mayoral devolution deal push

21/12/2022

Lincolnshire’s upper-tier councils are to press for a devolution deal including an elected mayor.

Transformation stalled at unitary's planning service, peers find

19/12/2022

‘Widespread dissatisfaction’ with enforcement has been uncovered by a peer review of a new unitary council’s planning service.

Structural change not a cure-all for children's services

11/07/2022

Structural change alone is not enough to turn around children’s services, a new report has found.

Plans for new unitary council in Cumbria confirmed

16/06/2022

The executive for the shadow authority for Cumberland Council have confirmed the implementation plan for the new local authority.

Cumbria drops legal challenge to reorganisation

28/02/2022

Cumbria CC has decided to drop its legal challenge after losing its second High Court bid for a judicial review of local government reorganisation.

Cumbria council loses second bid to stop reorganisation

23/02/2022

Cumbria CC is ‘considering its next steps’ after losing its second High Court bid for a judicial review of the decision to create two unitary authorities.

Cumbria continues legal battle against reorganisation

26/01/2022

The county council is opposed to the Government’s decision to replace the county council and six district councils with two unitaries.

MP opposes 'undemocratic' council merger

21/12/2021

The proposed merger of two district councils has been labelled ‘undemocratic’ by a local MP.

Leaked White Paper reveals reorganisation master plan

09/12/2021

A leaked version of the Levelling Up White Paper has revealed plans to scrap two-tier local government in England.

County areas chase devo dream

17/08/2021

County areas are lining up to strike one of the first tranche of devolution deals.

Jenrick announces unitary deals

22/07/2021

North Yorkshire and Somerset County Councils have been given the go ahead to become single unitary councils, while Cumbria will be carved in two.

Commission calls for funding re-set for local government

20/07/2021

Local government needs a ‘funding floor’, set at an agreed percentage of national income, a report on the future of the sector has said.

Lincolnshire districts join forces in new partnership

18/06/2021

Three Lincolnshire district councils have announced they will form a new strategic partnership.

Navigating local government reorganisation - smoothing service integration

09/06/2021

Steve White looks at how councils can best navigate the complex issues around local government reorganisation and IT.

Controversial Somerset poll backs district plan

07/06/2021

A controversial poll on reorganisation in Somerset has come out in favour of a district-based proposal.

Devolution must focus on economy, says think-tank

06/05/2021

Devolution needs to focus on rebuilding the economy rather than local government reorganisation, a think-tank has claimed.

Tear down devolution 'barriers,' APPG urges

09/03/2021

Powers should be devolved to councils before reorganisation takes place, a new report has concluded.

Basildon and Thurrock consider merger

11/02/2021

Council leaders are drawing up a memorandum of understanding including the option of forming a South West Essex Council.

Councils propose ‘super-district’

02/02/2021

Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick DCs have revealed proposals to merge by 2024.

Combined authority expansion halted by ‘party politics’

09/11/2020

The expansion of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has stalled after leaders failed to reach an agreement.

Reorganisation battle lines drawn over think-tank report

20/10/2020

The bitter war of words between counties and districts over reorganisation stepped up this week as battle lines were drawn around a new think-tank report.

Three areas invited to submit unitary proposals

09/10/2020

The Government has today invited councils in three areas to submit proposals for the creation of unitary local authorities by April 2023.

DCN: Bigger local government is ‘not better or cheaper’

01/09/2020

Proposals for county unitary councils would be 122 times larger than the average council in Germany, a new report by the District Councils’ Network (DCN) warns today.

Countywide unitaries ‘could save £3bn’

27/08/2020

Replacing two-tier counties with one unitary authority could deliver almost £3bn savings over five years, according to research published by the County Councils Network (CCN) today.

Three districts table Gloucestershire devolution proposals

27/08/2020

Three of Gloucestershire’s district councils have proposed creating two unitary authorities in the county.

Ministers to receive Somerset unitary business case

31/07/2020

A business case for a single Somerset unitary has been sent to communities secretary Robert Jenrick and local government minister Simon Clarke.

Reorganisation will deter potential councillors, report warns

24/07/2020

Local government unitary reorganisation will slash the number of councillors and deter many from standing for election, a report for the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has warned.

Race for reorganisation gathers pace in Surrey and Somerset

10/07/2020

The race towards reorganisation is gaining pace more plans emerging in Somerset and Surrey.

Javid urges reorganisation and devolution post-COVID

23/06/2020

Council tax reform and local government reorganisation should both play a part in the post COVID economic recovery, former communities secretary Sajid Javid has said.

Reorganisation fears overshadow devolution talks

10/03/2020

Concerns over local government reorganisation are marring devolution talks in the north-west.

Borough seeking unitary status sparks spending row

03/02/2020

A row over council spending has broken out between a county council and a borough authority that is seeking unitary status.

Kettering to create town council

20/01/2020

A new town council is to be created as part of local government reorganisation in Northamptonshire.

Northamptonshire unitaries to save £86m

09/01/2020

Local government reorganisation in Northamptonshire will cost just over £40m, according to the early official estimates.

Reorganisation in Somerset would 'cut waste and save money'

08/01/2020

A single, unitary authority for Somerset would deliver a predicted saving of £35-£47m, according to new research.

Northants reorganisation stalled amid election

08/11/2019

Plans to reorganise cash-strapped Northamptonshire County Council have stalled amid the general election.

Call for leader to quit after 'repeated failures'

05/06/2019

Shadow local government secretary Andrew Gwynne has called for Northamptonshire CC leader, Matt Golby, to quit after ‘repeated failures’ in the council’s children’s services.

Delay to Northamptonshire reorganisation welcomed

14/05/2019

Council leaders have welcomed the year-long delay to plans to create two new unitaries in Northamptonshire.

Oxfordshire councils to extend joint working arrangements

16/04/2019

Two councils are considering extending their working partnership in a move they hope will trigger a ‘broader conversation’ on local government organisation.

Corby calls for delay on Northants reorganisation

08/01/2019

Corby BC has called for the creation of new unitary authorities to be pushed back, claiming there is not enough time to reorganise Northamptonshire’s public services.

2018 - the year things began to change

21/12/2018

Geed up by a spirit of entrepreneurialism, councils up and down the land were busy exploring new ways to respond to their communities in 2018.

Nottinghamshire CC abandons reorganisation plan

12/12/2018

Nottinghamshire County Council has decided to drop its reorganisation plans, which the leadership had hoped would save the authority millions each year.

Nottinghamshire considers unitary authority plans to save £27m per year

06/12/2018

Nottinghamshire councillors will decide next week whether they wish to hold a consultation on plans to create a unitary authority to deliver savings.

Single unitary council for Bucks gets the go-ahead

01/11/2018

Buckinghamshire’s five councils are to be scrapped in favour of a single county-wide unitary, communities secretary James Brokenshire has announced.

Dorset council merger could cost extra £400,000

10/10/2018

Setting up one of two new unitary councils in Dorset could cost at least £400,000, councillors have been warned.

Two unitary plan for Northants

17/08/2018

Two unitary councils could be created in Northamptonshire under proposals unveiled.

Christchurch agrees not to appeal Dorset reorganisation

14/08/2018

Christchurch Borough Council has agreed not to continue its legal fight against local government reorganisation in Dorset.

Christchurch reorganisation challenge defeated

07/08/2018

Christchurch BC may launch an appeal after a High Court judge today refused its challenge to local government reorganisation plans.

Council’s legal challenge to Dorset reorganisation to proceed to High Court

22/06/2018

Christchurch Borough Council has been given permission to take its case against local government reorganisation in Dorset to the High Court.

Scrap all districts says Heseltine

05/06/2018

District councils should be scrapped and 60 unitary counties created instead across England led by directly-elected mayors according to former Cabinet minister Lord Heseltine

Welsh reorganisation consultation deadline approaches

29/05/2018

The Welsh Government today urged people to contribute to the debate over the green paper, which aims to create larger councils that it says would be stronger.

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