The UK government has suspended plans for a sweeping overhaul of local government structures after new legal advice prompted a comprehensive review. Proposals to amalgamate smaller district councils into larger unitary authorities in Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk have been formally withdrawn, while reorganisation plans covering an additional 14 areas across England will also be paused.
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner is expected to announce the review in Parliament later on Monday. She will tell MPs that the government needs to ensure the right legal processes are in place before proceeding with any further council mergers.
The proposed changes originated under the previous Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer, during which Rayner served as local government secretary. The current administration, now led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, is reassessing whether the reorganisation proposals align with new policy priorities.
Rayner’s successor as communities secretary, Steve Reed, had announced plans for new council structures in 14 areas in July — just days before Burnham took office as prime minister. The areas currently under review include Derby and Derbyshire, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, East Sussex and Brighton, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Kent and Medway, Lancashire, Leicester and Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottingham, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire.
Decisions on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and West Sussex, have not yet been made and will be considered as part of the wider review process.
Local government in England currently operates under a fragmented system. In many areas, responsibilities are split between county councils — which manage social care and education — and district councils, which handle services such as waste collection and local planning. Larger towns and some cities have unitary authorities that combine both functions.
In late 2024, Rayner announced a policy shift toward unitary councils across all of England, arguing the changes would simplify the system, reduce costs and transfer new powers from Westminster to local regions. Critics contended the reorganisation would not deliver savings and could divert resources away from front-line services.
The government confirmed that local elections scheduled for May 2027 will proceed on existing council boundaries. Reorganisation already underway in Surrey, where voters elected councillors for two new unitary authorities in May, will not be affected by the review.
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