Watch: Cadaema’s David Parrett on getting a grip on council estates
David Parrett, Director at Cadaema Consulting Services, talks to LocalGov about why councils lack basic data on their buildings and what they can do about it.
EXCLUSIVE: Too few adult social care directors for new unitaries, ADASS warns
11/11/2026 There may not be enough directors of adult social services to lead all the unitary councils being created through reorganisation, the president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has warned. |
EXCLUSIVE: Reorganisation door open for 2028
02/10/2026 Some two-tier areas could still be encouraged to stick to the original reorganisation timetable despite the Government pausing the process, The MJ understands. |
Nottinghamshire seeks clarity over reorganisation
28/08/2026 Nottinghamshire County Council has moved a step closer to taking legal action against the Government over local government reorganisation (LGR). |
40% of West Surrey revenue budget to be absorbed by servicing debt
11/06/2026 Some 40% of one of the new Surrey unitaries' net revenue budget will be absorbed by servicing debt, it has emerged. |
Three boroughs share chief 'in preparation for LGR'
01/06/2026 Three councils hoping to form a unitary authority under local government reorganisation have agreed to share a chief executive and monitoring officer. |
New Forest boundary challenge has no ‘chance of success'
29/05/2026 New Forest DC has been advised that a legal challenge to the Government's controversial boundary changes in Hampshire would have no real chance of success. |
LocalGov Round Up: Pay, Pride in Place and LGR
27/03/2026 This week councils faced pay decisions, sweeping reorganisation plans, fresh regeneration funding and tensions over the future shape of local government. |
Reform to offer Havering chance to join Essex
18/02/2026 A Reform MP has claimed the party would offer Havering a referendum on leaving London to join Essex if it formed the next government. |
Local Government Reorganisation: Choose to transform, not just merge
27/11/2025 As England’s shift to unitary authorities accelerates, councils face a rare chance to rethink how they work, says Eman Al-Hillawi, CEO at Entec Si. |
Devolution needs ‘long-term plan’, report says
27/11/2025 England risks drifting into a fragmented local governance system unless ministers set out a clear long-term plan for devolution, new report argues. |
Government urged to stop reorganisation or face 'massive car crash'
18/11/2025 Government should be told to stop Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) or face a ‘massive car crash' a county leader facing unitarisation has warned. |
Multi-million-pound redundancy bill in shake-up of Worcestershire councils
04/11/2025 The business case for creating a single unitary authority in Worcestershire estimates that up to £24.2 could be required for redundancy payments. |
Devon councils set out reorganisation proposals
03/11/2025 Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council and Exeter City Council have published proposals for Devon to be divided into four unitary authorities. |
CCN: Social care faces reorganisation ‘triple whammy’
09/10/2025 Plans to split large councils into smaller unitary authorities could hit vulnerable people with worse services, higher costs, and staff shortages, CCN warns. |
Devon CC unitary plans to prevent ‘disastrous’ service issues
26/09/2025 Devon County Council has announced proposals to create a new unitary authority as part of its reorganisation plans. |
Norwich backs three-council model to boost ‘local prosperity’
25/09/2025 Norwich City Council has backed proposals for three unitary councils in Norfolk. |
West Sussex backs single unitary model
24/09/2025 West Sussex County Council has chosen a single unitary authority covering the entire county as its preferred model for local government reorganisation (LGR). |
Reorganisation threat to district services
23/09/2025 Services provided by district councils must not become an early casualty of local government reorganisation, a new report has warned. |
Portsmouth expected to reject reorganisation
18/09/2025 Portsmouth City Council is expected to formally reject local government reorganisation at a meeting next week, telling ministers to leave the authority alone. |
New unitary authorities could push up council tax, DCN warns
15/09/2025 Residents in new unitary authorities could pay increased council tax, the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has cautioned. |
CCN announces new unitary council member
11/09/2025 The County Councils Network (CCN) has welcomed North Lincolnshire Council as its newest unitary council member. |
Government skipped own cost review of council mergers
29/08/2025 The Government did not conduct its own assessment of the costs of local government reorganisation, the BBC has revealed. |
Proposals for four unitary authorities in Kent published
14/08/2025 Medway Council has published its local government reorganisation proposal for four unitary authorities covering Kent and Medway. |
EXCLUSIVE: MHCLG tells councils not to use public funds to win unitary argument
12/08/2025 Senior Whitehall mandarins have reminded councils not to use public funds to persuade residents to back their favoured reorganisation proposal. |
Boston backs two unitary plan
05/08/2025 A third Lincolnshire council has called for the county to be split into two unitaries under reorganisation – one representing the north and another the south. |
Reform council asks officers to look at single Kent unitary
30/07/2025 Kent CC's Reform UK leader has asked officers to draw up a detailed options appraisal for a single unitary with three divisions. |
Cambridge CC votes in favour of unitary council
29/07/2025 Cambridge City Council has approved proposals for a unitary council with majority support from councillors. |
Councils back three mainland unitaries
21/07/2025 Hampshire CC and East Hampshire DC have backed three unitary mainland councils, with the Isle of Wight remaining as a standalone authority. |
EXCLUSIVE: Crawley ponders legal response to unitary dismissal
17/07/2025 Crawley BC is considering its next steps, including a potential judicial review, after local government minister Jim McMahon dismissed its proposal for a cross-county unitary. |
District council backs two-authority plan
17/07/2025 Stratford-on-Avon District Council has adopted the two unitary authority model as its preferred option for local government reorganisation. |
Fiscal devolution could raise £8.9bn a year
16/07/2025 Fiscal devolution would enable local authorities to raise £8.9bn a year for local services, a report commissioned by the County Councils Network has found. |
Crawley pauses on West Sussex reorganisation
11/06/2025 West Sussex’s Crawley BC will wait for ministers to decide on Surrey’s reorganisation proposals before giving any views on unitarisation in its own county, The MJ understands. |
Leader's doubts over Kent reorganisation
28/05/2025 Kent CC's Reform UK leader has thrown the region's reorganisation proposals into doubt following her opening speech to the council. |
Surrey reorganisation plan based on ‘flawed data’, opponents claim
14/05/2025 A plan for two new unitary authorities in Surrey is based on ‘inconsistent, incomplete and flawed data’, opposition councillors say. |
Reform gains in English local elections
02/05/2025 Labour has held onto key mayoralties even though it looks like Nigel Farage's Reform UK will make significant gains in local elections across England. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
Six areas chosen for devolution fast track
05/02/2025 Six new areas have been chosen to join the Government’s devolution priority programme. |
Local Government Reorganisation: What It Means and Why It Matters
04/02/2025 Discover what local government reorganisation means, its impact on services, efficiency, and local accountability, and why it matters for England. |
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). |
New unitary seeks exceptional financial support
30/01/2025 A unitary council that is less than two years old is seeking exceptional financial support from Government. |
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. |
Herts reorganisation threatens representation, leaders warn
24/12/2024 A single unitary council for Hertfordshire ‘risks diminishing local representation’, local leaders warn. |
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. |
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. |
Councils agree on how to split Northamptonshire's final balance
13/08/2024 The two local authorities formed after the demise of Northamptonshire CC have agreed on how to split their predecessor's £40m balance sheet. |
Councils ‘too slow’ at resolving £40m dispute
12/06/2024 Two Northamptonshire councils have been 'too slow' to resolve a dispute over £40m of debt, an auditor has warned. |
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. |
North Yorkshire consults on new town councils
14/05/2024 Residents of Harrogate and Scarborough are being consulted on plans to create town councils for both areas. |
Five unitaries moot devolution deal
18/12/2023 A ‘non-binding expression of interest’ is expected to be submitted to the Government in February. |
Sector unites in plea to chancellor
22/11/2023 The local government sector in England has put out a call to Jeremy Hunt to ‘address the significant financial challenges faced by councils’. |
Somerset declares ‘financial emergency’
09/11/2023 Somerset Council has declared it is facing a ‘financial emergency’ and agreed that ‘urgent actions’ are required to tackle a £100m shortfall. |
Peterborough leader loses confidence vote
02/11/2023 Peterborough City Council has new political leadership after councillors voted to remove Conservative leader Wayne Fitzgerald. |
Confidence vote risks ‘further government intervention’
27/10/2023 The leader of Peterborough City Council has said a confidence motion in him will result in ‘major political instability’ and risks further intervention from the Government. |
Prioritise social housing, Whitby tells North Yorkshire
07/09/2023 Whitby Town Council is calling on the unitary authority of North Yorkshire to favour social housing developments over private building projects within Whitby’s parish boundaries. |
Somerset in section 114 warning
31/08/2023 Somerset Council is the latest authority to raise the prospect of a possible section 114 notice. |
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. |
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. |
North Yorkshire councils’ spending limited ahead of new unitary authority
24/05/2022 Michael Gove has issued a direction which restricts North Yorkshire councils from taking any big financial decisions before creation of the unitary authority. |
Council devolution: how technology can enable a successful and seamless transition
05/05/2022 Scott Goodwin explains how technology holds the key to unlocking a successful and seamless transition to a unitary model. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
Three councils back Bay unitary proposal
03/06/2021 The newly elected leaders of three neighbouring councils have backed proposals for a new Bay unitary authority. |
County rejects Bay Unitary proposal
13/04/2021 Lancashire County Council has rejected proposals to create a new Bay Unitary Council. |
County council chiefs welcome new Northamptonshire authorities
01/04/2021 County council leaders have welcomed two new unitary authorities which officially came into existence today in Northamptonshire. |
Consultation starts on restructuring local government in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset
23/02/2021 A consultation on creating unitary authorities in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset has been announced today by the Government. |
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. |
The Bay – a pivot to purpose
26/01/2021 Tim Pope and Sam Plum explain why local government reorganisation can be used as a catalyst for a new generation of councils that reflect their local economies and can lead the recovery. |
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. |
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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. |
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Somerset councils vote to establish two unitary authorities
16/09/2020 District councils in Somerset have voted for a transformation plan that will see them replaced by two unitary authorities. |
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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. |
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Three districts table Gloucestershire devolution proposals
27/08/2020 Three of Gloucestershire’s district councils have proposed creating two unitary authorities in the county. |
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Call to scrap two-tier local government system in rural areas
04/08/2020 The ‘confusing' two-tier model of local government should be abolished and replaced with single unitary councils, a report has argued today. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Hand health powers to elected mayors, says report
23/06/2020 Health powers should be handed to elected mayors as part of a ‘rejuvenated and fortified wave of devolution,’ a think-tank report has suggested. |
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Launch of new Buckinghamshire Council
02/04/2020 The new unitary authority for Buckinghamshire has been launched, bringing together five district and county councils. |
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Reorganisation fears overshadow devolution talks
10/03/2020 Concerns over local government reorganisation are marring devolution talks in the north-west. |
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Lessons for digital change from the new unitaries
06/02/2020 Some nine months on from the creation of two new unitary councils in Dorset, what have been the lessons learned from establishing a new organisation and implementing change programmes, especially digital change? Chief executives from councils in the South West discussed the issue at a recent round table debate in the New Forest hosted by The MJ and BT. |
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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. |
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Northamptonshire unitaries to save £86m
09/01/2020 Local government reorganisation in Northamptonshire will cost just over £40m, according to the early official estimates. |
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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. |
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Minister confirms creation of Northamptonshire unitary authorities
23/09/2019 The Government has confirmed that the legislation allowing for the creation of two unitary authorities in Northamptonshire will be in Parliament this autumn. |
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Buckinghamshire unitary authority deal concluded
24/05/2019 The Government has passed the final piece of legislation required for the formation of a new unitary authority in Buckinghamshire. |
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Unitary council to adopt committee system of governance
24/05/2019 Cheshire East Council is set to scrap its current system of decision making and adopt a committee system from 2020. |
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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. |
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From jurassic to digital – the evolution of services
13/05/2019 As the new Dorset unitaries get underway, the sea-change in structure is matched by the new wave of digital technology. Against this backdrop, a group of top council chiefs met at a BT/The MJ round table to look to the future. |
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Dorset’s achievement in a world transformed
07/02/2019 Andrew Flockhart shows how officers and members throughout Dorset worked together – despite a host of challenges – to be ready for the transformation on 1 April from nine councils to two unitary authorities. |
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Third district joins legal action against Bucks unitary plan
28/01/2019 A third council has announced it will be taking legal action against the proposed new unitary council for Buckinghamshire. |
