Local government reorganisation: Policy and programme updates
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 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 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 then 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.
Councils were asked to produce interim plans and submit these to government by 21 March 2025.
24 March 2025
A written ministerial statement 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 was made to Parliament. This set out how the Proposal Development Contributions 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 was made to Parliament about the statutory consultation on proposals for unitary local government 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 was made to Parliament, outlining the decision to implement 2 unitary councils in Surrey.
19 November 2025
A written ministerial statement 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
- Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock
- Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton
- Norfolk and Suffolk
No changes have been proposed for the Isle of Wight, an existing unitary council.
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.
Local Government Reorganisation areas
Policy documents
Correspondence
Local Government Reorganisation Advisory Group
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has set up the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) advisory group to support the delivery of the government’s reorganisation programme.
Updates to this page
-
Letter to council leaders on publicity code added.
-
Added links to 6 new local government reorganisation areas.
-
Added Local government reorganisation: letter to areas invited to submitted final proposals; Added Local Government Reorganisation Advisory Group.
-
Added Local government reorganisation areas section.
-
Added: Proposal development contributions: area allocations; Local government reorganisation: summary of feedback on interim plans.
-
This page has been updated following the Minister of State for Local Government and Devolution's written statement on 24 March 2025.
-
First published.