A New Era for Local Government
22 July 2025 | Dr Ruth Adams
Last week, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill was introduced in Parliament, setting out the government’s vision for a “new way of governing”. This landmark legislation will reshape the local government landscape – affecting almost all councils. The Bill provides much-needed clarity on timescales, governance structures, and devolved powers.
Across the south east there are many active consultations underway about the configurations and size of the new unitary authorities, often these highlight differences in perspectives and much work is left to be done before the final submission to government at the end of September 2025. Fundamental to considerations are:
A strong community focus built on residents and communities feeling trust, a strong connection and sense of agency with the new council. Ensuring that the council reflects the identity of their different communities.
Delivering quality public services ensuring no loss of service during the transition to a new authority and planning takes place to accelerate new arrangements.
Delivering best value ensuring the new councils are at a scale with capabilities to deliver great outcomes, high quality services and provide value for money.
Mutuality with devolution arrangements ensuring that every council can shape the arrangements that reflect the needs of their communities, economies, and residents.
The bill also makes provision for governance reform. Alongside the focus on communities there is a new duty to ensure effective neighbourhood governance, councils using the committee system are required to transition to the leader and cabinet model and no new council-based mayoralties can be created. The overhaul of the audit system is also outlined to ensure audit is fit, legal, decent, and proportionate.
Further details on remote and hybrid meetings, proxy voting arrangements and potential changes to the standards regime are due.