URL: https://wyre.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=824

Decision Maker: Chief Executive

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose: Purpose The report seeks to endorse the Lancashire wide response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) from all Lancashire councils on the contents of the Structural Changes Order (SCO), relating to Local Government Reorganisation in Lancashire. Background At the end of November 2025, five separate proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Lancashire were submitted to Government. Following this the Government carried out a seven-week consultation process during February and March 2026 inviting responses from named stakeholders as well as residents, businesses, parish and town councils, and local authorities affected by the proposals. The Government is now considering each of the proposals, alongside the responses received from the statutory consultation, ahead of making a decision on its preferred option to implement. Whilst still to be confirmed, latest correspondence from MHCLG suggests that a 'minded to' decision is likely to be made in July, prior to the Parliamentary Summer recess. Following a decision the anticipated timeline is for transitional arrangements, including shadow elections to new authorities in May 2027, with the new unitary councils taking on full council responsibilities from April 2028. Structural Changes Order Once a 'minded to' decision has been made, the Government is required to take the decision through its Parliamentary approval process. A council reorganisation decision is brought into legislation through a SCO The core content of the SCO a) Creation of new unitary authority/authorities b) Abolition of existing county/district/unitary councils c) Boundary definitions; d) Vesting date (when new councils legally take over): e) Transitional and implementation arrangements, including Joint Committees; and f) The legal framework for the eventual transfer of functions, assets, liabilities, staff etc In advance of a 'minded to' decision, MHCLG are seeking views from the Lancashire councils to help shape certain areas of content in the SCO A letter was received from the MHCLG on 19 May 2026 (Appendix A) setting out a number of questions for consideration, with a deadline to respond of 16 June 2026. Those questions are as follows: 1) Whether you would prefer a preparing council and implementation executive model (where geographies align) or a new council model with a joint committee? 2) How many members from each relevant council would you prefer to sit on each Joint Committee or implementation executive, including the balance of members from different councils? 3) Would you prefer for any individuals to be specified for the Chair/Deputy Chair roles, and if so, who? 4) What are your views on any requirement for political balance in the implementation executive/joint committee(s)? 5) What would be your preferences for the membership of the Implementation Team and whether roles should be specified? 6) Who should be the returning officer for the first election to each of the new unitary councils, that proposals would see established? (We anticipate that the SCO would specify the role at a particular council rather than an individual person); 7) Confirm if you would prefer the SCO to align future parish council elections with those of the new councils and set out when parish council elections currently take place across the four year electoral cycle for each of the new council areas? 8) What are the current legal names of the councils and what would be your preferred names for new councils? 9) If different to proposals, has there been any further modelling of your preferred councillors for each new council that you would like the Secretary of State to consider, alongside any information on the rationale and numbers. Through the Lancashire Leaders forum, councils have worked together to provide a proposed single, joint response to the MHCLG on each of the questions. For the majority of questions, the councils have been able to reach a consensus on a response, however there are some where a consensus has not been reached. Where that is the case, the council(s) supporting each option is clearly indicated, including a rationale for its position. The Lancashire response set out in Appendix B was submitted to government on 15 June. The Government will review the response and ultimately determine what is incorporated into the SCO. The Government is expected to issue a draft SCO shortly after it makes a 'minded to' decision, which is anticipated in July.

Content:

Date of Decision: June 19, 2026