Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

In December 2024, the government published a white paper on local government devolution and reorganisation. It set out plans for the creation of new combined 'strategic authorities', as well as simplifying local government.




 

What is Devolution?

Devolution involves introducing strategic authorities with an elected mayor across England, so that government can hand more powers down from Whitehall. Elected mayors will oversee areas representing two or more current county council geographical areas and will be handed more power over things such as strategic housing and planning; transport; environment; support, business and research; and public safety.

In December, the government invited upper tier (county and unitary) authorities to submit bids for devolution by 10 January for a place on their devolution priority programme. In our area, West Sussex County Council, East Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove Council requested to create a strategic authority based on their combined footprint, which covers around 1.7 million residents.

The government approved this proposal for the devolution priority programme and they consulted with residents and businesses (opens new window), with the aim of agreeing the new strategic authority by September. This consultation ended on 13 April. If approved, this will be created in March 2026 and mayoral elections will be held in May 2026.

What is Local Government Reorganisation?

Currently, some services such as education, social care and roads are run by the county council, while others, like bin collections, planning and housing, are run by district or borough councils - like ours.

The national government wants to simplify that system - combining councils into unitary councils, so that one council delivers all services in your area. This is called Local Government Reorganisation.

Interim proposals were submitted to the government by West Sussex Leaders and Chief Executives on 21 March. You can find a media release about this on our Latest News page and read the full submission (PDF, 250 KB). Our detailed business case has to be submitted by 26 September 2025. The new unitary authorities are expected to be ready in shadow form in 2027, and for the new councils to come into effect in 2028.

What happens next?

We want to assure you that regardless of what happens, our services will still be provided to you, and we will make the transition as smooth as we possibly can. We will also keep you closely informed as we receive more information. We realise you will have lots of questions and so we have pulled together a list of FAQs that we have answered - and these will continue to be updated and added to. Please be aware that the situation is changing rapidly and so these answers are based on what we know at the current time and are subject to change.

Local Government Reorganisation

What is local government reorganisation?

Local government reorganisation is the process in which the structure and responsibilities of local authorities are reconfigured. In the context of the English Devolution White Paper, the Government have set out plans to move away from the current two-tier system of district and county councils. The Government has indicated that for most areas this will mean creating councils with an average population of 500,000, but there may be exceptions to ensure new structures make sense for an area, including for devolution, and decisions will be on a case-by-case basis. 

What is the difference between devolution and local government reorganisation?

Devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government. Local government reorganisation is about how the powers and funding that sit with local government are organised between councils. 

What is the timeline for local government reorganisation?

The new unitary authorities in Sussex are expected to be ready in shadow form in 2027, and for the new councils to come into effect in 2028.

What is proposed for our area?

We are currently working with the other councils in West Sussex on options for the future. Interim proposals were submitted to the government by West Sussex Leaders and Chief Executives on 21 March. You can find a media release about this on our Latest News page and read the full submission (PDF, 250 KB). Our detailed business case has to be submitted by 26 September 2025.

What is a unitary authority?

Unitary authorities are a single tier of local government responsible for all local services in an area. They may cover a whole county, part of a county or a large town or city. For example, Cornwall Council, Nottingham City Council and Reading Borough Council are all unitary councils. Large urban areas may have a unique form of unitary authorities called metropolitan councils, such as Oldham or Doncaster. London boroughs are also unitary authorities. 

Will I get a say on the proposals for our area?

Yes. The government has already consulted on a new Strategic Authority for the wider region of West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton (opens new window). We will also be engaging with you on local government reorganisation as we develop our proposals and then the government will consult with you once it has decided on a preferred option. 

What is a shadow year?

Elections for the new authorities would be held and those who have been elected will sit on the newly formed council. During this year, they will only be given the powers to prepare for the new council coming into effect. This will involve creating a corporate plan, setting a budget for the following year, and producing a constitution. They will also appoint a Chief Executive, Statutory Officers and other senior officers to prepare for the transition. They will not run any services within the shadow year.

During this year, the government will also issue a Structural Order to all existing councils, including ours, to advise on what we can and can't do during that year. Day to day decisions will continue, but financial decisions relating to new activities will be restricted.

Will reserves within the council be ringfenced to be spent within the district?

If the government decides to go ahead with Local Government Reorganisation then a Structural Order will be laid in Parliament. This will set out in detail what will happen to all assets and liabilities, including reserves, for all of the councils merging to form the new unitary council. Where other local government reorganisations have taken place, assets, liabilities and reserves were not ringfenced.

Will the South Downs National Park be affected by the devolution process and would the Mayor have any strategic control over the park?

The National Parks are not included within the local government reorganisation and it is unclear at this stage whether the Mayor would have any control over their work.

Why were local elections scheduled for May 2025 postponed?

The government has acknowledged that for some areas, the timing of elections would affect planning for setting up a Mayoral Combined Authority. To help manage these demands, the government agreed to postpone West Sussex County Council local elections scheduled for May 2025 to deliver devolution to the most ambitious timeframe.

Devolution

What is devolution?

In England, devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government, so that decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect. 

What is the devolution priority programme?

The Devolution Priority Programme is the government's fast track programme to set up strategic authorities with an elected Mayor. In this area, a proposal has been submitted to government to form a strategic authority covering West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton, and the proposal has now been accepted by the Government and placed on the Devolution Priority Programme.

What is a Strategic Authority?

A strategic authority will be a legal body set up using national legislation that enables a group of two or more councils to collaborate and take collective decisions across council boundaries. We expect further detail to be set out as part of the English Devolution Bill. Depending on the form of devolution in an area, there are three levels of strategic authority available: 

• Foundation Strategic Authority: Available to those areas without an elected mayor. It will have limited devolution. For example, the current Lancashire devolution deal will establish a Foundation Strategic Authority. 
• Mayoral Strategic Authority:  For those with an elected mayor, a range of powers will be devolved. For example, the West of England is a Mayoral Strategic Authority.  
• Established Mayoral Strategic Authority: For those mayoral strategic authorities, that are able to satisfy a number of additional governance requirements. They will have access to the most devolution. Greater Manchester and the West Midlands are already at this stage.  

In this area, a proposal has been submitted to government to form a strategic authority covering West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton. If given the go ahead there will be an elected Mayor and the leaders from the upper tier councils will also sit on this. When the new unitary councils are created, the leaders from these councils will sit on the strategic authority. Until they are in place, the current leaders from West Sussex County Council; East Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove Council would take these roles.

What is a Mayor?

A Mayor is the directly elected leader of a geographical region. Many areas of England already have Mayors, including London, Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire. There are also directly elected mayors covering single unitary councils.  

What is the role of Mayors compared to council leaders?

The government believes that within the context of Strategic Authorities, Mayors should have a unique role which allows them to focus fully on devolved responsibilities. Council leaders are expected to continue to focus on leading their place and delivering vital services.