Local government reorganisation: Policy and programme updates
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-20)

News updates and supporting documents relating to the government’s ambitious programme of local government reorganisation in England.

About Local Government Reorganisation

Nearly a third of England’s population, around 20 million people, live in areas with two-tier local government with services and functions split across county and district council.

This slows down decision making and delivery, leads to fragmented public services, sees money wasted on duplication and makes it unclear who is responsible for what and where accountability lies.

Our ambition is to simplify local government, by ending the two-tier system and establishing new single-tier unitary councils.

This is a once in a generation reform and our vision is clear: stronger local councils empowered across local services, equipped to drive economic growth, improve local public services and empower their communities.

Timeline

16 December 2024

The English Devolution White Paper (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-devolution-white-paper-power-and-partnership-foundations-for-growth) was published. This set out the government’s vision for simpler local government structures.

The Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution wrote to all councils (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-letter-to-two-tier-areas) in remaining two-tier areas and neighbouring small unitaries to set out plans for a joint programme of devolution and local government reorganisation.

5 February 2025

​The Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution issued a statutory invitation to all councils in two-tier areas and neighbouring small unitary councils to develop proposals for unitary local government as well as updating on decisions on requests to postpone local elections (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-02-05/hcws418).

​Councils were asked to produce interim plans and submit these to government by 21 March 2025.

24 March 2025

A written ministerial statement (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-03-24/hcws545) was made to Parliament. This set out that the government had received responses from all 21 invited areas.

It also announced that £7.6 million will be made available in the form of Local Government Reorganisation Proposal Development Contributions, to be split across these 21 areas.

8 May 2025

​Councils in Surrey submitted final proposals for unitary councils in their area.

3 June 2025

A written ministerial statement (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-06-03/hcws676) was made to Parliament. This set out how the Proposal Development Contributions (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proposal-development-contributions-area-allocations) would be allocated, the amount that each area would receive, and the method for receiving that payment.

The statement also confirmed that each area has now received feedback on their interim plans and that a summary of that feedback has been published.

17 June 2025

A written ministerial statement (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-06-17/hcws704) was made to Parliament about the statutory consultation on proposals for unitary local government in Surrey (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-surrey).

26 September 2025

Final proposals for local government reorganisation in their area were submitted by councils in:
- East Sussex and Brighton
- Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock
- Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton
- Norfolk
- Suffolk
- West Sussex
28 October 2025

A written ministerial statement (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-10-28/hcws998) was made to Parliament, outlining the decision to implement 2 unitary councils in Surrey.

19 November 2025

​A written ministerial statement (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-11-19/hcws1071) was made to Parliament about the statutory consultations on proposals for unitary local government made by councils in 6 areas.

Consultations were published for:
- East Sussex and Brighton and Hove, and West Sussex (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-east-sussex-and-brighton-and-hove-and-west-sussex)
- Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-essex-southend-on-sea-and-thurrock)
- Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-hampshire-isle-of-wight-portsmouth-and-southampton)
- Norfolk and Suffolk (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-reorganisation-in-norfolk-and-suffolk)
The Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness also wrote to leaders of all councils engaged with local government reorganisation proposals about the importance of the Publicity Code.

28 November 2025

Final proposals for local government reorganisation across 14 areas were submitted by councils in:
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
- Derbyshire and Derby
- Devon, Plymouth and Torbay
- Gloucestershire
- Hertfordshire
- Kent and Medway
- Lancashire, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen
- Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland
- Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and Northeast Lincolnshire
- Nottinghamshire and Nottingham
- Oxfordshire
- Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent
- Warwickshire
- Worcestershire