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The Government has backed expanded city authorities across the country with its announcement on local government reorganisation for remaining two tier areas.Among the cities set to expand with unification are Plymouth, Oxford, Lincoln, Nottingham, Leicester, Exeter, Torbay and Brighton.Local government secretary Steve Reed argued his decisions would ‘help cities grow', which was necessary because bigger cities were ‘crucial in helping us build the homes we need'.Speaking in the House of Commons, he said: ‘Today marks a significant milestone for the future of local government. This reform programme is ambitious, but it is the right thing to do.'Gloucestershire was the only area in the process to walk away with a single unitary.Reed dubbed the plans the ‘most ambitious local government reform in a generation'.He said the changes would reduce the number of councils from 134 to 38, slash senior posts by 250 and bring ‘significant salary savings'.According to the minister councils have themselves estimated reorganisation would lead to net savings of £1bn and he added that reorganisation was necessary to make ‘all parts of the country ready for devolution'.Two areas have had their reorganisation decisions postponed.West Sussex, which along with East Sussex, Brighton & Hove saw its proposal postponed when fellow devolution priority programme areas were informed of their futures earlier this year, will have a further wait.And Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's outcome has also been deferred by Whitehall, prompting an angry local reaction Cllr Heather Williams, opposition leader at South Cambridgeshire who said: ‘The Government simply does not know what's its doing, it's time for them to hold their hands up, admit they made a mistake and go back to the drawing board.'As part of the announcement, Reed said each unitary would receive an additional £150,000 on top of the £900,000 already announced.However, shadow local government secretary Sir James Cleverly claimed Reed had announced a ‘gerrymandered set of boundaries'.Sir James told Reed: ‘This is blatant. These changes – like so many of his decisions – have been driven by party politics. Unitaries should never be the admission price for a devolution deal.'Reed denied the gerrymandering claim, adding: ‘The majority of proposals that I've just outlined today as decisions have cross-party support.'Elections to shadow unitary authorities will take place next May, with the new bodies coming into operation in April 2028.Full details for all affected areas are below: Lincolnshire:Ministers have backed proposals for an expanded Lincoln City which will leave Lincolnshire covered by four unitary authorities comprising:Lincoln City – expanding the existing city council to cover a population of 208,000 by adding in 12 wards from North Kesteven and seven wards from West LindseyRural Lincolnshire – Boston, East Lindsey, South Kesteven, South Holland as well as North Kesteven and West Lindsey minus the wards going to Lincoln CityNorth East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire to remain unchanged Nottinghamshire:In common with its plans for other counties comprising cities, the Government has backed the proposal submitted by Nottingham for two new unitaries with an expanded areas for itself. The two authorities will comprise the following areas:Southwest – Nottingham, plus 15 wards from Broxtowe,15 wards from Gedling and 17 wards from RushcliffeNorth and East – Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, plus five wards from Broxtowe, four wards from Gedling and seven wards from RushcliffeThere were three varying two-unitary proposals put forward by councils but only Nottingham backed the one chosen by ministers. Leicestershire:The decision for Leicestershire mirrors that for Nottinghamshire, with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) backing the city council's proposal which would see it expand its boundaries. The details are:Expanded City – Leicester, Oadby and Wigston, plus 16 parishes from Blaby, 11 whole parishes and one part parish from Charnwood and seven whole parishes, plus five part parishes from HarboroughSecond unitary: Blaby minus 16 parishes, Charnwood minus 11 whole parishes and one part parish, Harborough minus seven whole parishes and five part parishes, Hinckley and Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire and RutlandLeicestershire CC had proposed a different two-unitary set up to the ‘doughnut' plan chosen by ministers.County leader Dan Harrison has reportedly said he is ‘furious, shocked and bitterly disappointed' by the news.The majority of districts in the county had backed a three-unitary proposal. Devon: City expansion is also planned across Devon. Ministers have backed Exeter and Plymouth's proposal for four unitaries which would see the two cities along with Torbay expand. The details are: Exeter – Exeter plus 15 parishes from within Teignbridge, 28 parishes from within East Devon and six parishes from within Mid-DevonPlymouth – Plymouth plus 13 parishes from South HamsTorbay – Torbay plus 22 parishes from within Teignbridge and South HamsDevon Coast and Countryside – The rest of DevonThere were alternative proposals for three or four-unitaries models submitted by other Devon councils. Oxfordshire:The Government has again backed the city council's proposals in Oxfordshire. It will mean the following unitaries:Greater Oxford Council - Oxford City plus 15 parishes from Cherwell, 25 parishes from South Oxfordshire and 9 parishes from Vale of White HorseNorthern Oxfordshire Council - Cherwell less 15 parishes and West OxfordshireRidgeway Council - South Oxfordshire less 25 parishes, Vale of White Horse less 9 parishes, plus West BerkshireThe county wanted a single unitary and there was also a proposal for two unitaries. Lancashire:Four unitaries will be formed in Lancashire by bringing existing council areas together.The areas brought together under the new authorities will be:Preston, Lancaster and Ribble ValleyChorley, South Ribble and West LancashireBlackpool, Fylde and WyreBlackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hynburn, Rossendale and PendleThe 15 existing councils submitted several options to ministers, ranging from two to five unitaries. The four-unitary option ministers have plumped for was backed by Chorley, Lancaster, Preston, Ribble Valley, South Ribble and West Lancashire. Worcestershire:In Worcestershire the Government has backed plans for two unitaries. North Worcestershire unitary – bringing Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest togetherSouth Worcestershire unitary – merging the geographies of Malvern Hills, Worcester and WychavonMost of the county's existing councils had backed this option, although Worcestershire CC and Wyre Forest had called for a single countywide unitary. Hertfordshire:A proposal for four unitaries to cover Hertfordshire, backed by Broxbourne, Dacorum, Hertsmere, North Hertfordshire, Stevenage, and Welwyn Hatfield has been backed by ministers. The area brought together will be:North West - Dacorum and St Albans South West – Hertsmere, Three Rivers and WatfordCentral – North Hertfordshire less six wards, Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield less one wardEastern – Broxbourne, East Hertfordshire plus six wards from North Hertfordshire and one ward from Welwyn Hatfield. Staffordshire:A proposal for two unitaries proposed by Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent is the chosen ministerial option here. The details are:North Staffordshire – Newcastle‑under‑Lyme, Staffordshire Moorlands, and Stoke‑on‑TrentSouth Staffordshire – Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, South Staffordshire, Stafford, and TamworthOther councils in the area had backed a couple of alternative two-unitary proposals, a three unitary suggestion and one for four authorities.Cllr Jonathan Gullis, leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme which had backed the four-unitary option, said: ‘This is a shameful betrayal of Newcastle-under-Lyme and the people who call our Borough home.' Derbyshire:Derbyshire will see two unitaries emerge in its reorganisation plans, with Amber Valley split between the new bodies.Northern Derbyshire – Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, North-East Derbyshire plus 21 parishes from Amber ValleySouthern Derbyshire – Derby, Erewash, South Derbyshire plus 14 parishes from Amber Valley Kent:Dover, Swale and Thanet proposed four unitary councils and ministers backed this plan. The unitaries will cover the following areas:North – Dartford, Gravesham and MedwayWest – Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge WellsMid – Swale, Ashford, and Folkestone & HytheEast – Canterbury, Dover, and ThanetKent CC's proposal for a single unitary was rejected by the Government, along with proposals for three and five unitaries, as well an alternative four-authority plan. Gloucestershire:In an unusual step, given Labour have tended to plump for smaller unitaries for other areas, Gloucestershire is set to be covered by a single unitary authority.This proposal was backed by Costwold, Gloucestershire, Stroud and Tewkesbury. Other councils backed varying proposals for two unitaries, while Forest of Dean did not submit a proposal. Warwickshire:Ministers have plumped for the two-unitary proposal submitted by the majority of existing authorities. It will comprise:North unitary – North Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Bedworth, and RugbySouth unitary – Stratford-on-Avon, and WarwickThe county and Rugby had wanted a single unitary. East Sussex and Brighton & Hove:The Government has backed its own amended plan for a two-unitary model which would see Brighton & Hove's boundaries extended. There will be a small amendment to their proposal, which will mean the village of Falmer will not be included in the expanded city.

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REORGANISATION

Expanded cities the winners in reorganisation plans

By Paul Marinko | 16 July 2026

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