Statement made by , Secretary of State for Housing,
Communities and Local Government
On Monday 16 February the Government wrote to the High Court
setting out that I had decided to withdraw my decision to
postpone the council elections of 30 local councils due to take
place in May 2026 in the light of legal advice.
I invited the Minister for Housing and Planning to reconsider the
position afresh on an urgent basis recognising the pressing
timescales involved, and he decided that elections should proceed
in May 2026.
I confirmed on 16 February that all local council elections in
May 2026 will go ahead, and we have brought forward an Order to
revoke the previous postponement Order laid on 5 February.
I recognise that many of the local councils undergoing
reorganisation voiced genuine concerns about the pressure they
are under as we seek to deliver local government reorganisation.
My officials have been working with them to understand whether
any practical support is required.
In addition, I am pleased to be able to confirm that we will
provide up to £63m in additional capacity funding to the 21 local
areas undergoing reorganisation across the whole programme,
building on the £7.6m provided for developing proposals last
year. I will shortly set out further detail about how that
funding will be allocated.
This Government remains committed to ending the two-tier system –
and the two-tier cost premium – and establishing new single-tier
unitary councils. In many parts of the country, residents face
uncertainty about which of their two councils is responsible for
vital local services, while their council tax is spent on
duplicated structures. This duplication is inefficient and
costly, amounting to tens of millions of pounds that could be
better directed towards frontline services.
Through this reform, we will build stronger, more effective
councils that are equipped to drive economic growth, improve
public services, and empower the communities they serve.
