Economy · Regional & devolved · 2 November 2026
Government sets path for local government reorganisation
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced it is minded to proceed with reorganisation in five areas. A minimum three-week period for public representations will follow before final decisions are made.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced on Thursday, 29 October that it is minded to proceed with local government reorganisation in five specific areas: East Sussex and Brighton and Hove, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. The department confirmed that the wider programme, which covers 15 areas in total, is continuing.
Local elections in the affected areas will take place in May 2027 on existing boundaries. New councils are planned to be established for 2029, with elections to shadow councils held in May 2028. Minister for Local Government, Devolution and Regional Growth Jim McMahon OBE said: "No areas want to see a return to two-tiers once strong unitary councils are in place […] The decisions that we take now will be the building blocks for how this country is governed for generations to come."
Areas with previous decisions will receive £450,000 per previously announced new unitary authority from a £63 million fund. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and West Sussex will each receive £500,000 as decisions have not yet been made in those areas. Reorganisation in Surrey is unaffected, with East and West Surrey unitary authorities going live in April 2027.
Decisions have been withdrawn for nine areas where reorganisation was paused in September, but the process is not cancelled and all options remain under consideration. The announcement notes an exception for the parish of Falmer, where decisions have yet to be made.
Written by StreetOwl from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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