Last week the Government provided an update on the future of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) across England following a statement in the House of Commons by Housing, Communities and Local Government Minister Jim McMahon.

In a joint statement, Braintree District Council, Tendring District Council and Colchester City Council said:

“We note the announcement from Government providing an update on Local Government Reorganisation across England.

“For Greater Essex, Government has confirmed that the decision withdrawn in September remains withdrawn and that Greater Essex will now form part of a wider review. This does not mean Local Government Reorganisation in Greater Essex has been cancelled. Government has reiterated its commitment to LGR and all options and proposals submitted remain under consideration.

“We understand Government expects to provide an update on the outcome of the review by early 2027. Until then, we will continue to work constructively with Government and partners across Essex to secure the best possible outcome for our residents, businesses, communities and staff.

“There are no immediate changes to our councils or the services we provide. The Government has also confirmed that local elections in May 2027 will go ahead for existing councils, with elections to any new councils taking place in May 2028 ahead of a planned vesting day in 2029.

“We are pleased Government recognised the costs councils have already incurred in preparing for LGR and confirmed that Greater Essex will receive £450,000 of the previously announced £900,000 transition funding per the number of previously announced new unitary authorities. We will continue to push the government to reimburse all our costs.

“Our work through the North East Essex Partnership has strengthened collaboration between our councils and our understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our communities. We remain committed to working together, and with partners across Greater Essex and Government, to deliver the best outcomes for our residents as the review progresses.”