Local Government Reorganisation in Greater Essex
Have your say! Your councils are changing
Major changes are planned to councils across Greater Essex as part of the largest reorganisation of local government in over 50 years.
The Government is requiring 21 areas of England to restructure their local government systems by 2029.
This involves two main changes:
- Devolution – the process to transfer powers and funding to new 'strategic authorities' (also called 'combined authorities') that cover multiple new council areas and are responsible for large projects such as transport, infrastructure and economic development.
- Local Government Reorganisation – a process which will replace borough, district, city and county councils with fewer unitary councils and this is what this consultation is about. Unitary authorities deliver most local services to people who live in their areas.
In Essex, there are currently 15 councils, and these must reorganise to form new unitary authorities through Local Government Reorganisation.
Right now, nearly 1.9 million people in Greater Essex are served by various councils. If you live in Southend or Thurrock, you have a single, unitary authority.
The rest of Essex operates under a ‘two-tier’ system, meaning you have two different councils. District-level councils, like Basildon, Castle Point and Chelmsford, provide services like bin collections, community safety, street cleaning, planning, parks and leisure services. In these areas you will also receive services from Essex County Council, who provide things like special educational needs and disabilities provision, adult social care, children’s services, road maintenance, education and schools, libraries and recycling centres.
The map shows the current arrangement of councils in Essex and their populations.
The move to new, unitary councils
Within the next 3 years, all these councils will no longer exist, and new unitary councils will be created. Councils across Greater Essex are working together to design proposals for what new local authorities might look like. The Government has requested that areas submit proposals to inform the decision they will make on the configuration of councils in Greater Essex.
What is required from Government?
Greater Essex councils are working on proposals to reorganise. The Government wants proposals that:
- Use sensible geographical areas, ideally based on existing district boundaries, (though the Government is open to changes where there is strong justification)
- Ensure financial sustainability
- Minimise fragmentation of services
- Consider local identity, cultural and historic importance
- Follow a ‘guiding principle’ of a population of around 500k, with flexibility depending on an area’s individual circumstances
Future councils across Greater Essex must serve bigger areas than they do today. Several councils are working together to propose five new unitary councils in Greater Essex, with each new unitary council serving somewhere between 326,000 and 510,000 residents. New councils would be created by bringing together one or two of their direct neighbours along with County-level services to form new unitary councils. This map shows what Essex could look like under a 5 unitary council proposal.
Some local authorities are working on different proposals, expected to propose fewer councils across Greater Essex, serving bigger populations than this.
How can I make a difference?
Final proposals must be submitted to the Government by 26 September and we can’t make an important decision like this without you. We want to know your views and the things you care about most.
This is your chance to tell us what you think, so please complete this survey by 5pm Sunday 20th July. It should take no more than 10-15 minutes, and your responses will help us better understand your views before any final plans are sent to the Government.
Please complete the survey below. For alternative ways to take part, see the 'Other ways to take part' section on the right-hand side of this page.
