LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM UPDATES

Around 10 million people live in the 1,114 villages, towns and cities that are located along the UK’s 7,723 miles of coastline. Our vision is to see every single one of those places thriving, which as you will see from Chapter 1, is far from the current reality.

England’s local government reorganisation (LGR) will significantly reduce the number of local authorities across the country but what could this mean for struggling coastal communities? In a recent article, Christopher Kerr, our Head of ESG, explores how the loss of council headquarters, public sector jobs, and civic assets could further impact coastal towns already facing deprivation, poor transport links, and climate-related challenges. The piece also examines the opportuni

The Government has today announced decisions on the future unitaries for the areas of Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The Government is yet to make a decision on the future of East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton on Hove due to concerns regarding all four of the proposals they received.

The following update provides you with the key news relating to devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) during the first quarter of 2026.

In this article, Christopher Kerr argues that while devolving power to regional mayors could unlock growth, it may also deepen deprivation along the coast unless coastal voices are built into decision-making from the start. From infrastructure gaps and poor health outcomes to the risks posed by local government reorganisation, Chris sets out four practical policy shifts needed to ensure devolution works for, not against, the UK’s coastline.

October - December update providing key news relating to the local government reorganisation and devolution of the final quarter of 2025.

A new Davitt Jones Bould survey of over 100 senior local government real estate professionals has found that local government reorganisation (LGR), in which councils in two-tier areas – i.e. those governed at both County and District/Borough/City levels – will be replaced by a single-tier system of unitary authorities, will have a negative impact on regional estates management.

The following update provides you with the key news relating to local government reform (LGR) and devolution for the months of August and September.

The Government has launched the English Devolution and Community Engagement Bill (“the Bill”), which spans 338 pages. The Devolution Bill introduces three tiers of strategic authority, outlines mayoral powers, and restructures local government by eliminating two-tier structures. Additionally, it establishes a new community right to buy and, surprisingly, abolishes upward-only rent reviews. Here, we provide a summary of the key impacts that the Devolution Bill will have on pla