CIH welcomes latest government announcement on local government reorganisation

CIH welcomes the confirmation by the government that new local authority geographies are being established across large parts of England.
 
The announcement confirms the abolition of county councils in England and the end of the two-tier system of local government.
 
The government announced its plans to roll out unitary authorities across England in 2024, and an announcement on reorganisation in the six counties included in the Devolution Priority Programme was made earlier this year.
 
Elections for the new councils will be held in May 2027, and it is anticipated that they will be up and running in April 2028.
 
Tom Arnold, policy manager for regional engagement and devolution at CIH, said:
 
"We welcome the clarity that this announcement provides for housing professionals working in areas affected by local government reorganisation.
 
"Reorganisation has significant implications for housing and local authority officers are working hard to ensure the transitions to new councils are as smooth as possible.
 
"The government has provided resources to support local authorities undergoing reorganisation, but we are aware this process continues to place pressure on housing officers. We encourage the government to provide further guidance for local authorities on which services and systems need to be in place on day one of the new councils and those where some period of transition is expected.
 
"There are particular challenges around the merging and disaggregation of Housing Revenue Accounts, and we urge the government to continue in their support of councils through this process."