LGR disruption offers long-term opportunity

Local government is entering a period of significant structural change. Delivering Through Change, a report developed with data from 70 senior local authority officers across 63 English councils, shows that local government reorganisation (LGR) is already influencing how leaders plan, prioritise and protect their project pipelines.More than a third of respondents expect LGR to have a negative near-term impact on their authority's ability to deliver capital and infrastructure projects, with early-stage disruption cited as the most likely consequence.Set against this, broader pressures on project delivery remain important context. The report shows that challenges emerge long before construction begins. Councils consistently highlight the early stages of projects – including scoping, business case development, procurement and planning – as points at which progress is most vulnerable. Rising costs and project delays are widespread, but officers also emphasise that uncertainty around national policy and funding contributes significantly to this early-stage disruption.With national policy focused on increasing housing supply and driving economic growth, councils are working to ensure that reorganisation supports, rather than slows, progress on these priorities.Skill shortages compound this pressure. Forty per cent of respondents identify gaps in commercial and early-stage expertise as a major barrier to delivery. These capability gaps affect councils' ability to develop robust business cases, undertake commercial assessments and manage risk effectively.As authorities prepare for structural change, ensuring early-stage capability is in place becomes critical. These stages are most easily disrupted when teams or governance structures are reconfigured.The implications of reorganisation are particularly significant for projects central to longterm local priorities. Officers identify regeneration, housing and transport schemes as being at greatest risk of disruption from LGR. These complex, multiyear programmes rely heavily on clear decisionmaking and stable oversight, making them especially sensitive to organisational transition.With national policy focused on increasing housing supply and driving economic growth, councils are working to ensure that reorganisation supports, rather than slows, progress on these priorities.Delivering Through Change underscores the importance of stability during transitions. Councils identify consistent procurement pathways, stable governance and clarity of decisionmaking as the foundations of resilient delivery.As selected by 57% of respondents, trusted longterm frameworks are highlighted as the most valuable form of support for building longterm resilience. They help maintain momentum by giving councils reliable access to expertise, predictable routes to market and continuity for live programmes even as internal structures evolve.Strengthening earlystage capability is another clear priority. The report shows that support with feasibility work, business case development and commercial advice can significantly reduce delays, particularly when councils are navigating organisational change. Ensuring that projects are welldefined and commercially robust at the outset helps protect them from disruption as governance arrangements shift, reducing the risk of pauses or resets during this period.Examples from practice demonstrate the benefits of a consistent approach.Arc Partnership is a joint venture between Nottinghamshire CC and SCAPE and has delivered more than 3,500 projects, with high levels of local investment sustained even during periods of wider economic and organisational pressure. The partnership has reduced procurement risk, accelerated project delivery and ensured strong value for money.National policy remains a critical factor shaping local delivery. Ninety four per cent of officers call for greater funding certainty or longerterm settlements, and almost 60% highlight streamlined approval processes as a key enabler of delivery.For councils managing the demands of reorganisation, this clarity is especially important. A consistent national framework supports confident local decision-making and provides stability for programme planning.What emerges from Delivering Through Change is a sector that is pragmatic, ambitious and focused on ensuring continuity for communities. Councils understand the longterm benefits that reorganisation can unlock – from improved co-ordination to more efficient regional delivery models. They are also clear about what will enable them to navigate the transition effectively: continuity in procurement and governance, stronger earlystage capability and targeted investment in skills.With these conditions in place, reorganisation can help, rather than hinder, progress on the projects that matter most to local people.Caroline Compton-James is deputy chief executive of SCAPE

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LGR disruption offers long-term opportunity

By Caroline Compton-James | 16 April 2026

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