Local government reorganisation will press ahead in five counties, the government has announced – but Westminster’s actions have made life for local government lawyers even more stressful, a membership body has warned.

After several councils commenced or were considering legal action, housing secretary Angela Rayner decided to pause local government reorganisation, Whitehall's major overhaul of local government. Her department recently announced it was ‘minded to proceed’ with local government reorganisation in five areas. Another 15 areas remain ‘under review’.

Angela Rayner

Rayner's department recently announced it was ‘minded to proceed’ with local government reorganisation

Source: Alamy

Lawyers in Local Government past president Paul Turner said the government’s announcement provided clarity for five areas but still left ‘significant uncertainty’ elsewhere.

Turner said: ‘Three of the five areas announced - Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire - have no legal challenge and can therefore be regarded as relatively straightforward cases. Even in these areas, councils have been required to stop work and then restart a month later, creating uncertainty around the planning and allocation of resources.

‘For other areas, the position remains unclear, with no detail on how local government reorganisation will be delivered or to what configuration. This presents a particular challenge for local government lawyers, given the significant legal capacity required to manage the process. It is difficult for councils to plan and maintain the necessary legal resource when the timetable and prospects for reorganisation remain uncertain.

‘This is taking place alongside considerable financial pressures, with councils needing to focus on delivering balanced budgets and addressing existing financial challenges. There is a real risk that the demands of reorganisation compete directly with the legal and financial capacity needed to maintain services and ensure that any new authorities are financially sustainable from the outset.’

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said 'outcomes' for all areas will be known by early next year and local elections will still go ahead next May.