For members and officers in the areas invited to submit proposals for local government reorganisation (LGR), finding the bandwidth to start properly scoping out how mayoral strategic authorities should be designed and interact with the new unitaries must feel almost impossible. Yet that stands to be where the real prize from reorganisation lies, given that it has been set as a precondition for devolution.
Whatever figures are tossed around about the savings that may come from unitarisation, most LGR areas are surely coming to the conclusion that, without fundamental reform at national level of social care, SEND and homelessness, financial sustainability and resilience are probably pipe dreams. At best, this process may put off Exceptional Financial Support and section 114 territory for a few more years in a few more places.
