Councils granted flexibility to finish reorganisation

Some local authorities being streamlined to improve services and speed up decision-making will have their local elections postponed.

The government has confirmed it will bring forward legislation to postpone elections for 29 councils that provided sufficient evidence on how postponement would release capacity to help deliver local government reorganisation.

The remaining 34 councils also going through reorganisation will hold local elections in May– meaning the majority of local elections will go ahead as planned.

This once-in-a-generation reform will end the outdated two-tier system and build stronger local councils equipped to drive economic growth, improve local public services, and empower their communities.

About one in three people in England currently live in an area covered by two local authorities, creating duplication and waste — two chief executives, two sets of councillors, two finance directors.

Streamlining councils will eliminate that confusion and duplication so more can be spent on the things the public want — caring for older people, fixing potholes, creating great places to live and work.

The reform will cut the number of councillors by around 5,000 and eliminate highly-paid senior roles, freeing up cash for local priorities.

As a result, residents will receive better, more efficient public services, with critical services like housing, planning and roads brought under one roof to speed up decision-making in key areas like housebuilding.

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed said:

This is a once-in-a-generation reform that will transform local government for the better.

Cutting through two-tier bureaucracy means faster decisions on housing, simpler access to services, and more money going to potholes, tackling crime and caring for older people instead of being lost to duplication. That’s what residents want and that’s what reorganisation will achieve.

Where elections are postponed, existing councillors will have their terms extended.

Elections to the new unitary councils are expected to take place in May 2027, with the new councils expected to be up and running in April 2028.

These decisions follow precedent. Between 2019 and 2022, the previous government postponed local council elections to protect local government reorganisation work.

Postponement then, as now, is to enable focused work on implementing proposals.

Background guidance

Elections where legislation will be brought forward to postpone

Adur District Council

Basildon Borough Council

Blackburn with Darwen Council

Burnley Borough Council

Cannock Chase District Council

Cheltenham Borough Council

Chorley Borough Council

City of Lincoln Council

Crawley Borough Council

East Sussex County Council

Exeter City Council

Harlow District Council

Hastings Borough Council

Hyndburn Borough Council

Ipswich Borough Council

Norfolk County Council

Norwich City Council

Peterborough City Council

Preston City Council

Redditch Borough Council

Rugby Borough Council

Stevenage Borough Council

Suffolk County Council

Tamworth Borough Council

Thurrock Council

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council

West Lancashire Borough Council

West Sussex County Council

Worthing Borough Council

Elections that are going ahead

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Brentwood Borough Council

Broxbourne Borough Council

Cambridge City Council

Cherwell District Council

Colchester City Council

Eastleigh Borough Council

Epping Forest District Council

Essex County Council

Fareham Borough Council

Gosport Borough Council

Hampshire County Council

Hart District Council

Havant Borough Council

Huntingdonshire District Council

Isle of Wight Council

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

North East Lincolnshire Council

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council

Oxford City Council

Pendle Borough Council

Plymouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council

Rochford District Council

Rushmoor Borough Council

South Cambridgeshire District Council

Southampton City Council

Southend-on-Sea City Council

St Albans City and District Council

Three Rivers District Council

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

Watford Borough Council

West Oxfordshire District Council

Winchester City Council