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In December 2024 the long-awaited White Paper on devolution was published. The surprise for many was the Government's intention to abolish the two-tier system of local government and replace it with unitary councils across the whole of England.I was not so surprised, as this abolition seems to have been coming for many years, regardless of which political party is the government of the day.The 1980s saw the introduction of metropolitan councils and the demise of counties in those areas. The 1990s saw the creation of small unitary councils, either city unitary councils carved from county council areas or, like Teesside, the creation of several small unitary councils and the abolition of Cleveland CC. The noughties saw the creation of large county unitary councils, a trend that continued until 2023 and now, the remaining 21 county areas are being re-organised into various configurations.Many officers and members find the scale of this change daunting, however, from the perspective of an officer who has experienced local government reorganisation (LGR) three times, the scale of the challenge is outmatched by the scale of the opportunity.This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redesign how public services are delivered for the benefit of the communities we serve. Regardless of the geography that has been selected, it is up to us to ensure that the aspirations of our communities are at the heart of these new councils.My own LGR experiences started in Durham where I was a deputy director of resources, leading up to the 2010 reorganisation.As part of the LGR programme I was a representative on the finance workstream. I was a district council chief executive in North Yorkshire during the lead-up to the 2023 re-organisation, a member of the Programme Delivery Board and lead officer for the housing and property workstreams. I now find myself in Derbyshire, again as a district council chief executive, but also interim LGR programme director.I led the bid from Derby City Council and the borough and district councils and am now leading the preparation phase of LGR on behalf of all of Derbyshire's councils.The decision in Derbyshire reflects the collaborative effort by Derby City Council, together with all the district and borough councils in the region. It is a collaboration that, following the submission of the final business case, has included Derbyshire CC.Derbyshire will be governed by two unitary councils – a Derbyshire North Council and a Derbyshire South Council. One Derbyshire, two councils – both with approximately 540,000 residents.Other key metrics include: GVA, business rates income, council tax income, council spend per head of population and adult and children's services demand – creating two councils that are true equals in scale, challenge and opportunity.A significant amount of work was undertaken as we prepared for the final decision. This included:Establishing the governance structure that will steer the programme of activity.All service workstreams being stood up with a focus on what the day one requirements are for each, to ensure the new councils are safe and legal on vesting day.A data hub to collect all the existing councils' data and ensure it is stored in the same place and in the same format.The initial data collection work has focused on property data, contract data and HR data. This will be expanded as we move into the implementation phase with:Transformation work, looking at what will be the transformative vision for the two new councils, the opportunities and how much of this can be achieved prior to vesting day.-A resource plan for the implementation phase of the programme has been established. We will begin recruiting to this plan over the coming months.The procurement process for a strategic partner to help us through what will be one of the most complex LGRs undertaken to date.The new local government structure in Derbyshire will require the disaggregation of a county council and a district council, the amalgamation of an existing unitary council and the aggregation of a district council that operates all its services through a local authority trading company structure, partnered with both the private sector and a council in Staffordshire.Despite the challenges and complexities LGR brings, I know that as a group of councils which has worked collegiately on this project since January 2025, we will make it a success because our residents, businesses and visitors deserve nothing less.So, my ‘top tips' for a successful LGR implementation are:Collaboration – LGR will only be a success when all councils in an area work together.Plan – Effective planning and programme management are key to success.Resources – Where possible, use internal resources to build the new council. Consultants do not know your place as well as the people who are truly part of your communities.Communication – Colleagues, councillors and stakeholders must be fully informed throughout the journey to vesting day.Finally, do not underestimate the scale of this change. It will be the largest transformation project ever undertaken by your respective council and needs to be planned and resourced as such.Best wishes to everyone involved in LGR. We have a real opportunity to reshape how local government delivers services to its communities for the next 50 years and beyond.Justin Ives is the chief executive of South Derbyshire DC and interim LGR programme director for Derbyshire and Derby City Council

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Top tips for delivering LGR

By Justin Ives | 07 August 2026

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