English councils set to be streamlined to speed up
decisions, improve services, and empower communities have
been invited to give
views on postponing elections next
year to release capacity to deliver these vital
reforms.
With landmark reforms happening at pace in councils moving from a
wasteful two-tier system to single unitary authorities, Ministers
have today written to affected local authorities after
some said elections could divert substantial time
and resources away from delivering local government
reorganisation – with new councillors serving only briefly before
their councils are replaced with new ones.
Some councils have told the department that elections could
derail once-in-a-generation plans to scrap wasteful ‘two-tier'
councils and create strengthened unitary
authorities by 2028 across the
final 20 areas.
Reorganisation will cut the number of councillors, and
bring critical services like housing, planning and roads under
one roof to speed up decision making in key areas like
housebuilding.
As a result, residents will receive better, more efficient public
services, freeing up cash to be invested in local
priorities.
Ministers have now invited a total of 63 areas to set out
their views on the potential postponement of local elections in
their areas and their local capacity to deliver local government
reorganisation alongside elections.
A deadline of 15 January has been set for representations and
any evidence will be reviewed
by government with a final decision to
be made by ministers early next year.
Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness,
said:
We have listened to councils who've told us of the
challenges they face reorganising while preparing for
resource-intensive elections for areas which may shortly be
abolished.
Several have submitted requests to postpone elections so it is
therefore right we let them have their say so they can focus
their time and energy on providing vital services while planning
for reorganisation.
Our goal is to create new councils who
can improve services for residents and it is only
right that we listen to councils.
There are 204 councils across 21 areas
undergoing reorganisation. 63 of these
councils are scheduled to hold elections in May
2026 and have been written to for views on
potential postponement.
Surrey is on
a faster timetable for reorganisation, and we
plan to hold local elections to new councils in
May 2026, so their views have not
been sought on postponements.
If delayed, these elections would be postponed for one year,
before elections to the new unitary councils in May 2027, with
the new councils then expected to be up
and running in April 2028.
