Cabinet members to consider local government reorganisation
Cabinet members will be asked to consider the wide range of views across Lancashire about local government reorganisation at a meeting next week.
As part of the Government's English Devolution White Paper, published in December, local authorities in so called 'two tier' areas, which have county and district councils, have been asked to submit initial views on creating 'unitary' councils for their areas.
Unitary Councils provide the full range of council services such as bin collection, highways and education.
In Lancashire this could mean the county council, the 12 district/borough councils and Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen councils would be dissolved and replaced.
The Government have said services to residents should not be affected by these changes.
Government have asked for initial views to be shared by 21 March with final, detailed proposals submitted by 28 November 2025.
The county council has agreed to work collaboratively with the Leaders and Chief Executives of all the county's local authorities to inform the initial response, recognising that there isn’t yet a consensus on the way forward and a single preferred model isn’t expected by government at this early stage.
Members will be told that a wide range of responses are being considered across the county including unitary models ranging from one authority covering Lancashire, through to two, three, four, or five unitary council models. There are also views that oppose the principle of reorganisation.
Councillor Phillippa Williamson, leader of the County Council, said: "We have always been committed to strong and sustainable local government for Lancashire.
"Our focus is to ensure that any potential changes are in the best interest of the people of Lancashire.
"Cabinet will be able to consider the initial response to Government, and the wide range of views across the county, recognising that we are not being asked to identify a preferred option at this early stage.
"In the meantime, we remain focused on delivering excellent services, implementing our new Council Plan and maximising the opportunities that new devolved powers for Lancashire through the Combined County Authority will bring."
Notes to editors
Final proposals will be shaped by engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including Members, Members of Parliament, the Police and Crime Commissioner, public sector partners, the voluntary community faith and social enterprise sector, businesses, the wider public. The county council has worked collaboratively with the twelve district councils and two unitary councils and set out the range of options being considered.
The proposals in November will form the basis of decisions on the future of local government in the county. They will need to set out the full costs and benefits of reorganisation, underpinned by detailed financial modelling and evidence of how they meet the Government’s criteria for reorganisation.
Local government reorganisation is a separate process to devolution. Devolution is about transferring powers from central government at the local level. Local government reorganisation is about reviewing the responsibilities and geographies of local councils, moving away from districts councils and county councils which have different service responsibilities towards unitary local authorities which deliver the full range of council services for an area.