Unitary plans for a further 14 council areas in England were announced by the former Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Steve Reed OBE MP in July.
The reforms will see 134 councils – in Gloucestershire, Derby and Derbyshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, East Sussex and Brighton & Hove, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool, Kent and Medway, Devon and Plymouth and Torbay, and Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire – reorganised into 38 unitary authorities.
Decisions on two areas – West Sussex, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – were delayed to allow ministers more time to consider the options.
The LGA has secured additional funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to provide dedicated support for reorganisation to councils. This includes knowledge-sharing opportunities, peer support and support around workforce, governance and leadership.
It complements a broader range of support already available, including: data, digital and technology; adult and children’s services; finance; housing; and communications.
- Find out more about the LGA support