Ministers have confirmed plans to reorganise local government in a further 14 areas of England, saying the changes are intended to simplify services, strengthen accountability and reduce duplication between councils.
The latest round of local government reorganisation includes areas such as Kent and Medway, Hertfordshire, and Nottinghamshire and Nottingham. The government says the wider programme will see 134 councils streamlined into 38 unitary authorities, creating a smaller number of larger councils responsible for local services.
According to the government, the reforms are designed to replace separate arrangements across county and district councils with single structures covering functions such as planning, finance and senior leadership. Ministers say money freed by reducing duplication could be reinvested in local services including road maintenance and social care.
The government says the reorganisation is also intended to support deeper devolution and stronger local leadership across England. It says changes in cities including Preston, Leicester, Exeter and Derby will be tailored to local needs, with examples including updated boundaries in Exeter and alignment of housing and infrastructure in Derby.
Decisions on West Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are still to be made, with ministers saying they need more time to consider options before final decisions are reached.
The published list of areas includes Gloucestershire, where seven councils are due to be reorganised into one unitary authority. The government says that move would bring the Gloucester-Cheltenham growth corridor and Golden Valley cyber cluster under one council, with savings expected from reduced duplication across services and leadership.