Devolution remains a regular focus at the LSIP Board, here is an update.
Following the general election in July 2024, the Labour government continued plans for devolution in 2025, alongside Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). Devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from UK government to local government. LGR is about how local government powers and funding are organised between councils. The government invited local authorities to put in proposals to be part of the devolution priority programme. Essex County Council alongside Thurrock and Southend Councils wrote to the government to request inclusion. This was confirmed in February 2025 and the government also confirmed that elections scheduled for May 2025 for Essex County Council and Thurrock Council would be suspended.
Responses have now been submitted to the government’s proposals, following a consultation period (as of April 2025). This includes the proposed creation of a Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) for Greater Essex which would bring decisions closer to local people, including a more skilled workforce and improved infrastructure and more joined up transport systems. The Devolution Priority Programme aims to see a new wave of Mayors elected in May 2026.
Alongside this, the government commenced LGR in areas that still have a two-tier system of local government. This means that a county council operates as well as district, borough and city councils. In Greater Essex, there are currently twelve districts, two unitaries and a county council. The Government have set out plans to move away from the two-tier system, with all fifteen councils in Essex being replaced with a number of unitary councils. The white paper has stipulated that the government thinks the optimum size for new unitary councils to be at least 500,000 people. However, there may be some flexibility on this, and each case will be considered on its own merits. Greater Essex has a population of around 1.9 million, meaning three or four unitary councils is the most likely outcome of the reorganisation.
As Essex is on the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) proposals will be submitted by 26 September 2025, then working towards mayoral elections in 2026 for DPP areas alongside other scheduled local elections. There will be shadow unitary elections in May 2027 and new unitary councils going live in 2028. After LGR has taken place, the new unitary councils will work with the new mayoral combined authority to use the powers and funding they received from devolution.
Further information is available from Essex, Southend and Thurrock Councils