Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

The government published a white paper on English Devolution and reform to local government on 16 December 2024. 

The white paper is the Government’s statement of its plans to reform local government.   

This includes a wide range of proposals on devolution of powers and funding, but also wider plans for local government reorganisation and changes to local audit.  

This website section aims to explain what the white paper could mean for Harborough District Council and its communities.

What is devolution?

Devolution is a process that aims to transfer more power and decision-making from the highest levels of national government down to local areas.

The current government has made devolution a priority and set out plans to create a new network of Strategic Authorities that will cover the whole of England by 2029. The new authorities will be led by elected mayors and will cover a number of local council areas.

These Strategic Authorities will have populations of at least 1.5million people and responsibilities linked to transport and local infrastructure; skills and employment; housing and strategic planning (not determining planning applications); economic development and regeneration; environment and climate change; health and wellbeing; and public safety.

The Government explained these plans in an English Devolution White Paper, published for the first time on 16 December 2024 and setting out what councils must do.

What is Local Government Reorganisation?

As part of its plans for devolution, the Government has announced a programme of local government reorganisation that will replace all two-tier county and district councils and small or failing unitaries with new unitary councils that have populations of at least 500,000 people. 

These much larger unitary structures would then join together in groups to form Strategic Authorities (those with the elected mayors).

The Government believes that local government reorganisation, together with devolution over a big strategic area, will improve public services and support economic growth.

Leicestershire is a two-tier area as there are seven district and borough councils, including Harborough, and the county council.

What does this mean for Harborough?

Unless there is a complete reversal of the policy set out in the Government’s Devolution White Paper, there is currently no route by which Harborough can continue to operate as a district council in the future.

As things stand, Harborough will become part of a larger unitary council as a result of devolution and local government reorganisation.

Most new unitary authorities are expected to be in place by 2028

Can councils opt out of this process?

We cannot opt out. All councils must follow the roadmap that is mandated in December’s White Paper and ‘no change’ is not an option.

The Government has been clear that it wants all small unitaries and two-tier areas to bring forward proposals for reorganisation. It intends to deliver this process as quickly as possible, including through legislation, where it becomes necessary to ensure progress.