Labour to abolish 'dozens' of councils in biggest reform for a generation

By Henry Moore

‘Dozens’ of councils will be abolished as Labour plans the biggest reforms to local government in a generation, according to reports.

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Across the country, including Essex, Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire, local councils will face massive changes under the promise of more funding from Whitehall.

Currently, 21 county councils operate across England, with 164 district councils acting under them.

The smaller district councils are typically responsible for day-to-day planning permissions and bin collecting, while county councils oversee transport and social care.

Labour ministers, however, reportedly see this two-tier approach as inefficient - accusing district councils of hoarding money and blocking the construction of new housing.

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According to the Times, ministers are working with councils and will only implement the measures in areas that support the change.

Ten areas across England will be the first to face the changes, reports claim. In these impacted areas, larger unitary councils will replace the two-tier system.

Jim McMahon, the local government minister, previously told council leaders they must begin the process of electing mayors as they are “part of the government’s plan moving forward.”

Local democracy advocates have questioned the reported move, arguing it could damage accountability.

Sam Chapman-Allen, chairman of the District Councils’ Network told the Times “vast new unitary councils … far from local communities” are not the solution to creating growth.

He said: “Local democratic accountability depends on residents retaining a demonstrably close link to the councillors who represent them. Attempts at structural change in recent years suggest that creating large councils is no panacea for resolving the many challenges local government faces.”

A spokesman for the ministry of housing, communities and local government said: “No decisions have been taken on council reorganisation.

“Our priority is to focus on the transfer of power from Westminster and work with councils to create structures that make sense for their local areas and work effectively for local people. We will set out further details in the upcoming English devolution white paper.”