Plans for major overhaul of councils halted

Plans for a major shake-up of local government are on hold, after the government launched a review in light of new legal advice.

Proposals to merge smaller councils to form larger authorities in Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk have been withdrawn.

Meanwhile, plans for 14 other areas will also be reviewed and paused.

Reorganisation in Surrey, where councillors for two new unitary authorities were elected in May, will not be affected by the review.

The government confirmed local elections in May 2027 would go ahead on existing council boundaries.

Communities Secretary Angela Rayner will announce the review in Parliament later.

She is expected to tell MPs that “in light of legal advice, I want to satisfy myself firstly that the right process is in place, that it is robust, and of course complies with the law”.

“And secondly, I want to fully test whether our proposals for local government reorganisation meet the priorities of a new administration and a new prime minister and any additional considerations,” she will add.

The plans originated under Sir Keir Starmer’s government, when Rayner was also local government secretary, before she was replaced by Steve Reed.

The 14 areas where local government reorganisation is being paused while a review is carried out are:

The government said decisions had not yet been taken on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and West Sussex, with these areas being considered alongside the wider review.