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As ministers prepare to reveal the next steps for reorganisation, debate is raging within the sector over the size of the unitaries to be created.The latest intervention comes with research by Inner Circle Consulting commissioned by a coalition of councils questioning the case for creating large authorities.Bigger Doesn't Mean Better commissioned by Cambridge, Exeter, Lincoln, Norwich and Oxford city councils, and Ipswich BC, found ‘no consistent, applicable rule that larger councils are more cost-efficient or deliver better services'.Exeter's leader Cllr Phil Bialyk said: ‘The evidence does not support the idea that crossing an arbitrary population threshold automatically leads to better services, lower costs or stronger financial resilience.‘What matters is how councils are designed, how they work with residents and partners, and whether they are focused on delivering the outcomes local people need.'The report compared figures on care costs, children's services spending, inspection results and exceptional financial support with populations, allowing for differences in local needs, age, wages, property costs and geography. It questioned the findings of research by Newton Europe commissioned by the County Councils Network (CCN) in 2025.CCN has urged the Government to apply a 500,000-population minimum threshold for new unitaries after it found care costs fall by 1% for every additional 200,000 residents. It claimed there could be additional senior staffing costs of up to £3m for each authority in an area.However, Inner Circle contended: ‘There is material distance between the published evidence in the 2025 CCN report, based on analysis prepared by Newton Europe, and the general conclusions subsequently presented to ministers.'Inner Circle cited a lack of evidence to support claims of a relationship between larger populations and better children's services inspection results.CCN this week stood by its own research.A CCN spokesperson said: ‘Supported by Newton, our analysis was rigorously developed, and the report provides extensive detail on the methodology used.‘Inner Circle's report is not a fair representation of the methodology, nor did the authors at any point seek to engage CCN to discuss the approach taken.'Daniel Sperrin, a partner at Newton, added: ‘Inner Circle's report is not a fair representation of the methodology we applied.‘We are surprised that the authors of Bigger Doesn't Mean Better did not at any point seek to engage Newton to discuss the methodology approach taken.'The Government could reveal the findings of its review of decisions taken on reorganisation following last month's pausing of the process as early as Thursday.

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REORGANISATION

Debate on unitary council size intensifies ahead of Government review

By Martin Ford | 27 October 2026

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