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

The areas set to join the programme are Cumbria, Cheshire & Warrington, Norfolk & Suffolk, Greater Essex, Sussex & Brighton, and Hampshire & Solent.

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner also announced that half of the requests from councils to postpone May's elections had been granted to help deliver reorganisation and devolution.

They include East and West Sussex Councils, Essex CC and Thurrock, Hampshire CC and Isle of Wight, Norfolk CC and Suffolk CC, and Surrey.

Rayner described the Government’s approach to reorganisation as ‘common-sense’, but shadow local government secretary Kevin Hollinrake branded it ‘a very worrying day for democracy'.

Jim McMahon, the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, said reorganisation ‘puts more money in people’s pockets, leads to quicker, better, cheaper transport, designed with local people in mind and puts politics back in the service of working people.’

Responding to the announcement, Cllr Louise Gittins, chair of the Local Government Association, said councils need ‘further clarity’ on the timelines for the reforms ‘including for those whose bids have not been approved as part of this initial priority programme.’

She also added that the Government needs to commit funding to help local authorities deliver on reorganisation.

‘Areas that have already gone through LGR [local government reorganisation] have relied heavily on reserves to unitarise and some estimations for one-off costs range from £25 to £100m.’

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, chairman of the District Councils’ Network, accused the Government of being in a ‘mad rush to impose mega councils’ on residents.