Eighteen local councils in England have formally requested to delay their upcoming May elections until next year to facilitate significant structural changes to local government. The proposed postponements are intended to support a reorganisation initiative that aims to merge smaller district councils with county councils to form unitary authorities serving populations of approximately 500,000.

The government will ultimately decide on these requests, with Local Government Minister Jim McMahon stating in the House of Commons that a "high bar" will be set for approvals. He assured MPs that decisions would be made "by the end of the month or in a couple of weeks at the most."

The proposed restructuring aims to streamline service delivery and create more efficient governance structures. However, concerns have been raised by the District Councils' Network, which warns that the formation of larger councils could erode local decision-making and diminish community representation.

In addition to restructuring local authorities, the government aims to introduce directly elected mayors across England. These mayors would assume devolved powers, with the first elections expected in May 2026. Areas granted election delays this year would elect councillors to temporary "shadow authorities," which would prepare to take full operational control over the following year. The government anticipates that new unitary authorities will be fully operational by April 2027 and 2028.

Political Reactions and Concerns

David Simmonds, the Conservative shadow local government minister, expressed understanding of councils' requests for delays, citing the financial burden of holding elections for councils that are set to be dissolved. However, he cautioned that prolonged uncertainty could result in unnecessary expenditure.

Minister McMahon reiterated that election delays would only be approved where councils have demonstrated a clear commitment to the reorganisation process. "Where there are genuine proposals for change, it would be a nonsense to have elections for bodies that do not exist," he said, promising elections would be held "at the earliest opportunity."

Liberal Democrat local government spokesperson Vikki Slade acknowledged the need for reform but criticized the approach, describing it as a "top-down diktat" that could bypass local voices.

Conservative MP Mark Francois questioned the demand for these reforms in his constituency and suggested that local referendums should determine whether residents support such major changes.

Financial concerns were also raised by several MPs, with questions about the impact of merging financially unstable councils with those that have balanced their budgets. Conservative MP Kit Malthouse highlighted the potential unfairness of sound financial management being undermined by debt-laden neighbours, while Lib Dem MP Will Forster cited Woking's significant debt of £2.1bn as a case of concern for adjacent councils.

Councils Seeking Election Delays

As reported by the BBC, currently, 21 county councils are scheduled to hold elections in May, with 16 requesting delays:

• Derbyshire
• Devon
• East Sussex
• West Sussex
• Essex
• Gloucestershire
• Hampshire
• Kent
• Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire
• Norfolk
• Oxfordshire
• Suffolk
• Surrey
• Warwickshire
• Worcestershire

Additionally, two of the ten unitary councils set for elections, Thurrock and the Isle of Wight, have also sought postponements.

Next Steps

As the government reviews the applications, the debate continues over balancing efficiency gains with local representation. Ministers have committed to addressing financial concerns and ensuring that no authority is unfairly burdened by structural changes.

For further details, you can access the full debate transcript HERE.