Devolution White Paper: Speed Read
The English Devolution White Paper was published on the 16 December 2024. This White Paper describes the steps that the Government will take to achieve universal coverage across England for the devolution of powers from Westminster to local government. Currently, 61% of England is covered by a devolution deal (90% of the North of England but only 46% of the South of England). This initiative aims to decentralise power from Westminster with a view to end the “parent-child dynamic” between central and local government.
Overview of key points:
Restructuring local government
The Government White Paper has proposed significant local government re-organisation in England, re-organising two-tier authorities into larger unitary authorities with a population of 500,000 or more (with some exceptions). Some existing unitary authorities may also be re-organised, “where there is evidence of failure or where their size or boundaries may be hindering their ability to deliver”.
On 6 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) issued a statutory invitation under Part 1 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (LGPIHA 2007) to all two-tier local authorities and small neighbouring unitary authorities to develop proposals for local government re-organisation.
On 5 February 2025, The Secretary of State announced six areas in the priority programme and one area where local government reorganisation would be pressing ahead of devolution.
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Four of those six areas intend to both undertake local government reorganisation and create a new Combined County Authority. The other two areas are unitary councils (not in need of reorganisation) coming together to create a combined authority. These six are: Cumbria; Cheshire & Warrington; Norfolk & Suffolk; Greater Essex; Sussex & Brighton; Hampshire & Solent.
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Proposals for reorganisation in these areas must be submitted by 26 September 2025. Shadow elections for any new unitary authority will take place in May 2026. New unitary authorities will be fully vested in April 2027.
Surrey is the area where local government reorganisation will be done on an accelerated basis, with the deadline for an interim plan needing to be submitted by 21 March 2025 and a full proposal submitted by 9 May 2025.
Interim plans had to be submitted on or before 21 March 2025. Full proposals need to be submitted by 28 November 2025, apart from in Surrey, where the full proposal has to be submitted on Shadow elections to take place in May 2027. New unitary authorities to be vested in April 2028.
For more details about local government restructuring, click here.
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