Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for making a decision on local government restructuring in Essex; when she plans to hold a formal consultation process on the number of new unitary councils to be created; when she plans to publish the proposed council (a) wards and (b) divisions for the new unitary councils; and whether the date of election for the new unitary councils will be in the (i) same year or (ii) different year from the election to the combined authority mayor for Greater Essex.

On 5 February 2025 councils in Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock were invited to submit proposals for unitary local government by 26 September 2025. Once a proposal has been submitted it will be for the government to decide on taking a proposal forward and to consult as required by statute. The exact timings and detail will depend on the proposals received and the decision taken on which proposal, if any, to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.

The government's consultation on Devolution Priority Programme areas closed on 13 April. We are now carefully considering the evidence collected to decide whether to establish mayoral institutions in each of the areas, including Greater Essex.

It is expected that elections to new unitary authorities in Devolution Priority Programme areas undergoing local government reorganisation will take place in May 2027, with those new unitary authorities going live in April 2028. Legislation implementing a proposal for unitarisation will include provision for warding or divisional arrangements for the inaugural council elections.