For most of the local authorities that are part of the Devolution Priority Programme, the proposals are now in and it is down to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to run the consultation and make the decisions.
After the intensity of the last few months, it would be tempting to take a well-earned break from local government reorganisation (LGR) until the decision is made, which is likely to be March 2026. The reality is that there is a significant amount of work to be done before Vesting Day, and some of that work can and should be done before decision. The risk is that local authorities don't make best use of the next six months and that increases the work to be done post-decision.
At Newtrality, a common theme we see from local authorities we have supported through the LGR process previously, upon reviewing their lessons learnt, is that they wish they had started sooner.
Working with the sector, and specifically local authorities that have already been through LGR, we have developed a list of more than 100 corporate actions that need to be completed prior to Vesting Day. Some are dependent on the final decision, but there are several areas where councils can do proportionate work now to reduce the post-decision workload. We like to keep things simple, so we put the activities into two groups: ‘now' and ‘next'.
Examples of the now activities include gathering key datasets in areas like finance, contracts, assets and workforce, or developing a high-level design for your post-decision programme delivery and governance arrangements. There is plenty you can do, but it is important to recognise that this creates a capacity challenge so there is a need to be proportionate and focus on higher value tasks.
This is work that you can do right now, at an individual council level, but the real power and value is doing this system-wide, across all the local authorities in your region. While each camp may wish to promote their own proposal in the run up to a decision, there is common work you can do as officers and members that will give you a head start once the decision is known. Doing work now will ultimately deliver a smoother and more successful transition, thus reducing the impact of LGR on staff and residents. In addition, the data gathered now can be used to help further strengthen your authority even if a decision is delayed.
At Newtrality, we are working with several of the priority programme areas at the system level to help all the local authorities involved get a head start in planning their transitions, whatever the decision. If you would like to know more about how we can support your council during the next six months, or for more information on our 100+ corporate actions list, do get in touch.
Nic Fell is Delivery Director at Newtrality
