Reorganisation | LocalGov


Surrey councils stand firm in reorganisation plans 30/04/2025 District and borough councils across Surrey have published proposals for local government reorganisation, defying the Government’s requests for unity on final proposals.
Local elections in the shadow of reorganisation 28/04/2025 Dr Jonathan Carr-West of the LGIU discusses the meaning of the local elections against the backdrop of local government reorganisation (LGR).
Councils risk being 'fleeced' over reorg, says former commissioner 24/04/2025 Councils facing reorganisation face being ‘fleeced' by consultants keen to profit from the process, a former Northamptonshire CC commissioner has claimed.
Majority of public ‘not following’ reorganisation 23/04/2025 Nearly two-thirds of the public are not engaged with local government reorganisation, a new poll commissioned ahead of the local elections has revealed.
Surrey to remain divided on unitary plans 16/04/2025 Surrey's borough and district councils have revealed the region is set to defy government requests for unity on final reorganisation proposals.
Reorganisation proposals average 544,000 population 14/04/2025 Reorganisation proposals submitted by councils would produce new unitaries of varying sizes but with an average population of 544,837, analysis reveals.
Essex CC rejects combined authority plan ‘in its current form’ 10/04/2025 Essex County Council has told the Government that it cannot support the proposal for devolution in Greater Essex ‘in its current form’.
East Sussex unitary 'probably most likely option' 02/04/2025 A single tier East Sussex unitary of around 550,000 people is 'probably the most likely' reorganisation option, The MJ understands.
Leadership and HR in local government transformation 01/04/2025 Pam Parkes, president of the PPMA, argues that the leadership mindset and HR are the missing links in local government transformation.
Councils accused of publishing ‘biased’ LGR survey 31/03/2025 Surrey County Council has accused borough councils of publishing a ‘purposefully biased’ and ‘misleading’ consultation on local government reorganization.
Exclusive: Ministers set to reject social care trust plans 27/03/2025 Ministers are likely to reject plans for children’s or adult social care trusts that come as part of local government reorganisation (LGR), The MJ understands
UNISON: Reorganisation must not be ‘cover for job cuts’ 20/03/2025 The abolition of district councils as part of local government reorganisation puts thousands of frontline jobs at risk, says UNISON.
Future Forum: Unitary workers 'grieving' loss of districts 20/03/2025 North Northamptonshire Council chief executive Adele Wylie has urged those involved in reorganisation to act with ‘kindness' and avoid rancour.
One unitary in Worcestershire could save £20m a year 20/03/2025 Replacing Worcestershire's seven councils with a single unitary authority could save more than £20m a year, according to a new report.
LGR will have 'failed' if frontline services suffer 19/03/2025 Local government reorganisation (LGR) will be judged a failure if frontline services are negatively impacted.
Warwickshire councils signal preference for two unitaries 19/03/2025 There is a ‘clear preference’ for a north and south unitary option among district and borough councils in Warwickshire, says district council leader.
Notts leader backs ‘city + 2’ reorganisation model 18/03/2025 The leader of Nottingham City Council has backed proposals that would see the authority merge with two other councils.
Exeter reorganisation could see city expand to over 300,000 18/03/2025 Exeter could dramatically expand from a population of 130,000 to over 300,000 under the city council’s local government reorganisation proposals.
Government insists counties hand over reorganisation data 17/03/2025 The Government has insisted district councils should be given access to data by counties to build robust cases for their unitary reorganisation plans.
East Midlands mayor suggests LGA not the right 'fit' 17/03/2025 East Midlands mayor Claire Ward has said the Local Government Association ‘might not be' the place where combined and strategic authorities ‘fit'.
Hampshire hits reorganisation deadlock 14/03/2025 No decision will be made on the number of unitaries that will cover Hampshire and the Solent ahead of the deadline for interim reorganisation plans.
Minister: 500,000 figure for unitaries an 'average' 13/03/2025 Jim McMahon has said a population size of 500,000 could end up as the ‘average' when unitary government is completed across the country.
DCN: Government’s reorganisation plans risk ‘dysfunctionality’ 13/03/2025 Local government reorganisation could ‘create larger versions of dysfunctionality’ and fail to bring about the public service reform required, report claims.
Suffolk councils oppose unitary plans 12/03/2025 Suffolk’s district and borough council leaders have joined forces to oppose plans published by Suffolk County Council for a single unitary authority.
Two unitary plan for Lincolnshire 12/03/2025 Plans to merge Lincolnshire's 10 councils into two unitary authorities have been published.
Plan calls for Isle of Wight to retain own council in reorganisation 11/03/2025 The Isle of Wight should remain ‘as is’ as part of the overhaul of local government, according to the first draft of a devolution plan.
Derbyshire councils agree plans for two unitary authorities 10/03/2025 Local authorities in Derbyshire have agreed on a draft plan to create two unitary councils covering the north and south of the county.
CCN: Splitting up social care could cost £500m a year 07/03/2025 The annual cost of splitting up social care services into multiple smaller councils could exceed half a billion pounds, says County Councils' Network (CCN).
EXCLUSIVE: Stretched capacity slows pace of reorganisation 07/03/2025 Small unitary councils are to be spared reorganisation until the map has been redrawn in two-tier areas, local government minister Jim McMahon has told The MJ.
Survey reveals scepticism reorganisation will fix council finances 05/03/2025 A survey of senior council figures has revealed widespread scepticism that reorganisation will fix local finances while many warn of more bankruptcies.
Cornwall rejection fails to stop strategic authority plan 04/03/2025 Devon, Plymouth and Torbay are pushing forward with plans to create a mayoral strategic authority after being rebuffed by Cornwall.
City and county clash over reorganisation plans 28/02/2025 Staffordshire CC has teed up a clash with Stoke-on-Trent City Council by proposing a county unitary covering a population of 876,000.
Leicestershire pushes for 'transparent' talks with districts on reorganisation 27/02/2025 District councils have ‘excluded' Leicestershire CC from meetings and discussions about future plans for reorganisation.
Districts back being swallowed by unitary 25/02/2025 The leaders of Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire DCs have backed the enlargement of unitary West Berkshire Council to include their areas.
Reorganisation expected to end council partnership 24/02/2025 Local government reorganisation will likely end a collaboration between two local authorities in the Midlands.
Confusion over unclear reorganisation picture 20/02/2025 Councillors in postponed elections could serve for just 12 months before fresh polls are held to new unitaries unless ministers pause voting again.
Lack of asylum funding snag for reorganisation 20/02/2025 Funding for asylum seeker support has emerged as a sticking point in Kent's reorganisation plans.
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.