Ministry asks 63 areas affected by local government reorganisation for views on postponing May 2026 elections

It claimed that such a move could “release capacity” to deliver on the reforms.

Some affected local authorities have warned elections could divert substantial time and resources away from delivering reorganisation – “with new councillors serving only briefly before their councils are replaced with new ones”, MHCLG said.

The Ministry added: “Some councils have told the department that elections could derail once-in-a-generation plans to scrap wasteful ‘two-tier’ councils and create strengthened unitary authorities by 2028 across the final 20 areas.”  

A deadline of 15 January, 2026, has been set for representations and any evidence will be reviewed by the Government with a final decision to be made by ministers early next year. 

If delayed, these elections would be postponed for one year, before elections to the new unitary councils in May 2027, with the new councils then expected to be up and running in April 2028.

In a letter to leaders of councils with elections in May 2026 where proposals for reorganisation have been submitted and decisions not yet taken, the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness, Alison McGovern said the Ministry had now received proposals from all 20 remaining invitation areas.

A consultation is open on 17 of those proposals from six invitation areas and McGovern said she expects to launch a consultation in early February on proposals from the remaining 14 areas that seek to meet the terms of the 5 February statutory invitation. That consultation would be for seven weeks.

The minister said: “I remain committed to the indicative timetable that was published in July, that sees elections to new councils in May 2027 and those councils going live in April 2028. This is a complex process, and we will take decisions based on the evidence provided.”

She added: “We have listened to councils telling us about the constraints they are operating within, and the work that reorganisation introduces on top of existing challenges. Now that we have received all proposals, it is only right that we listen to councils who are expressing concerns about their capacity to deliver a smooth and safe transition to new councils, alongside running resource-intensive elections to councils who may be shortly abolished.

“We have also received representations from councils concerned about the cost to taxpayers of holding elections to councils that are proposed to shortly be abolished.

“Previous governments have postponed local elections in areas contemplating and undergoing local government reorganisation to allow councils to focus their time and energy on the process. We have now received requests from multiple councils to postpone their local elections in May 2026.”

McGovern said: “The Secretary of State recognises that capacity will vary between councils and that is why he has reached the position that, in his view, councils are in the best position to judge the impact of potential postponements on your area and in the spirit of devolution and trusting local leaders, this Government will listen to you.”

The MHCLG noted that Surrey is on a faster timetable for reorganisation, and the Government plans to hold local elections to new councils in May 2026, so their views have not been sought on postponements.

There are 204 councils across 21 areas undergoing reorganisation. 

Responding to the announcement, Cllr Richard Wright, Chair of the District Councils’ Network, said: "England’s local democracy is built around every councillor being elected for a four-year term, a cycle which should be broken only in the most exceptional circumstances.

“Local government reorganisation means that many councils will soon cease to exist and legitimate questions can be asked about whether the electoral cycle should be adapted in response.

“However, the Government has fallen into a pattern of failing to anticipate obvious issues with how council reorganisation impacts on local democracy, making promises on the timing of elections that cannot be fulfilled and then changing policy at the last minute."

Cllr Wright added: “Electoral officers are operating in a climate of uncertainty, which wastes time and money – for instance when venues have to be booked for election counts that don’t take pace.

“Most seriously, the electorate will be understandably confused by the constant shifting of the goalposts and broken promises. This has the potential to undermine faith in our cherished local democracy.”