Local government reorganisation paused

The government today revealed it is putting local government reorganisation (LGR) in Lancashire on hold.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said it planned a review of LGR to ensure the process was “robust, legally sound and aligned with its priorities”.

As a result, the plans to replace Lancashire’s current 15 council set-up with four unitary authorities will be paused while further work is carried out.

The government has also confirmed that local elections in May 2027 will go ahead on existing council boundaries.

In a statement on behalf of the 15 councils, Mark Wynn, the senior responsible officer for Local Government Reorganisation in Lancashire, said: “We note the government’s announcement that plans for local government reorganisation in Lancashire will be reviewed and paused.

“Collectively we will consider the detail carefully and continue to work together while the review takes place.

“In the meantime, the focus of all of Lancashire’s councils remains firmly on delivering services and supporting residents and communities across the county.”

Announced in July, the plans for Lancashire were described as the biggest change in local government in more than 50 years.

The new unitary councils announced were set to cover:

North Lancashire – made up of Lancaster, Preston and Ribble Valley
West Lancashire – made up of Fylde, Wyre and Blackpool 
East Lancashire – made up of Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Rossendale, Pendle and Burnley
South Lancashire – made up of Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire
The plan was for these new unitary councils take responsibility for all local services in their areas, with elections to new shadow councils taking place next May.

However, the new political map of the county proved controversial with reactions ranging from delight to disappointment – with a strong dose of fury thrown in.

Unsurprisingly, given the fragmented nature of the county and an inability to reach consensus when it comes to both council reorganisation and the path to devolution, the verdicts from Lancashire’s political leaders was far from unanimous.

Fylde’s Conservative MP Andrew Snowdon has been the most vociferous opponent, launching a petition calling on the government to scrap its plans to force Fylde and Wyre into what he describes as a new “mega council” with Blackpool.

He declared: “I am furious that the government is forcing Fylde and Wyre into a merger with Blackpool.

“Residents have overwhelmingly told me that they do not want this. Our councils have made their opposition clear, and I have repeatedly taken that message directly to ministers. Yet the government has chosen to ignore us.

“Fylde and Wyre must not be used as cash cows to help pay for the £500m of debt that the Labour Party has racked up running Blackpool Council.”

Stephen Atkinson, Reform UK’s leader of the county council, which was set to disappear as part of the process, also registered his “serious concerns” about the shake-up.

He said: “I have been clear from the outset that I do not support the wholesale reorganisation of local government in Lancashire, particularly at the pace these changes are being taken forward.

“This is not a small administrative change. It involves abolishing existing councils, creating new organisations, restructuring services and asking staff to deliver major reform while continuing to provide the services residents rely on every day.”

He added: “I also have serious concerns about the scale and complexity of delivering such a significant reorganisation. Bringing together 15 councils and creating four new authorities will be an unprecedented undertaking, requiring major changes to systems, services and staffing while maintaining day-to-day operations.

“There are important questions around affordability, delivery and the ability to make such extensive changes within the proposed timescales.

“However, the government has now made its decision and we alongside our fellow councils must deal with the reality in front of us.”

And leaders in the east of the county publicly registered their unhappiness with an outcome that will see their areas brought together, with the exclusion of Ribble Valley from the new area proving a particularly contentious subject.

Nationally decisions on Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, have been withdrawn in light of new legal advice, while plans for 14 other areas – including Lancashire – have been paused subject to review.

At least eight councils have launched legal challenges or were considering to do so in opposition to the choice of footprints for the new local authorities replacing them.

In a statement to the Commons later today, communities secretary Angela Rayner was set to tell MPs: “As we are now more determined than ever to devolve power closer to the people we represent, it’s only right that as a new secretary of state I make sure that everything we do is working towards that plan to change Britain, without delay.

“The Prime Minister told the house last week he was ‘prepared to look at local government reorganisation’ and he asked me as his communities secretary to ‘do that’.

“In that context, 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.

“I do not take this lightly. I recognise the huge amount of work that has already gone into progressing reorganisation in each of these areas and I am very grateful for it.”