The government confirms 14 more areas will undergo Local Government Reorganisation, with significant changes slated for Lancashire and Devon.
In a newly published press release, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed the next 14 areas designated for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). Key developments include the significant expansion of Plymouth, the division of Lancashire into four distinct councils, and the consolidation of nine Nottingham and Nottinghamshire councils into just two.
Secretary of State Steve Reed stated: “These reforms create stronger, more efficient councils that lay the foundations for real devolution and the economic growth that will bring new jobs and opportunities to communities right across England.”
We have compiled the table below outlining these structural updates:
Initial reception to these changes has been mixed. Devon County Council leader Julian Brazil remarked, “People in Devon, their council tax will be going up and their quality of services will be going down”. He subsequently announced plans to challenge the reorganisation decision in court via a judicial review.
The County Councils Network (CCN) has also criticised the government’s decisions across the majority of the selected areas. Cllr Sean Matthews, chair-elect of the CCN, stated: “Today’s decisions show how far ministers have departed from the statutory criteria and programme’s original aims. […]n With unprecedented levels of splitting services and boundary change, this approach will inevitably end up costing local taxpayers more while causing greater fragmentation and upheaval to services for the most vulnerable.”
