The Government has announced it will review local government reorganisation. In response, Cllr Richard Wright, Chair of the Local Councils Network, said:

“Councils have been working flat-out on making a success of reorganising local government so today’s announcement is therefore very disappointing and will come as a shock to councils up and down the country.

“This creates uncertainty over the next steps for many councils, changing the goalposts midway through a process that we all thought we understood.

“We’ve received repeated assurances that the new administration stood by decisions taken by its predecessor, so the announcement comes as a surprise and does little to build confidence in MHCLG’s decision-making in relation to local government.

“Significant time and money has already been spent on reorganising local government and many councillors and officers will not only fear this work has been wasted, but also question what the future now holds for them.

“At the Local Councils Network, we’re committed to supporting councils, whatever the latest decisions on local government reorganisation turn out to be.

“If reorganisation is to be restarted, it’s essential that new councils remain close to communities and are part of a cohesive reform of local public services which makes them more accountable to local people. In addition, we want to work with the Government on its proposals for devolution, bringing power from Whitehall to local communities, so that decisions that affect local residents are made closer to home.”