Five counties move forward, nine go back to the drawing board - including Lincolnshire
What happened
On 29 October 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government set out the next stage of local government reorganisation in England. Reorganisation means replacing the two-tier system, where a county council and district councils both exist, with single 'unitary' councils that do everything in their area. Ministers said they are 'minded to proceed' in five areas: - East Sussex and Brighton and Hove, as two unitary councils, including a boundary change Brighton and Hove City Council requested, excluding Falmer parish. - Gloucestershire, as a single unitary council. - Oxfordshire, as three unitary councils, including a boundary change Oxford City Council requested. - Warwickshire, as two unitary councils. - Worcestershire, as two unitary councils. 'Minded to proceed' is not final. There is a minimum three-week period for further representations before decisions are confirmed. Fifteen areas are still under review. Nine of them had decisions made in September that have now been withdrawn and will be reconsidered. That list includes Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, alongside Derbyshire and Derby; Devon, Plymouth and Torbay; Hertfordshire; Kent and Medway; Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool; Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland; Nottinghamshire and Nottingham; and Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Jim McMahon OBE MP, the Minister for Local Government, Devolution and Regional Growth, told Parliament: 'The decisions that we take now will be the building blocks for how this country is governed for generations to come.'
Why this matters
This decides who runs the services you use. In a two-tier area, responsibilities are split. The county council typically handles social care, schools and main roads. The district council handles bins, housing, planning applications and council tax collection. If you have ever rung the wrong council about a pothole, that split is why. Under a unitary council, one organisation does all of it. The argument for it is simplicity and saving money by removing duplication. The argument against is that bigger councils are further from the places they serve, and that a single council covering a very large rural county can feel remote from a small town at its edge. For Lincolnshire readers, the practical position is that nothing is settled. A decision was made in September and has been withdrawn. It will be reconsidered. The government says every area will have an outcome by early next year. That uncertainty has a real cost. Councils facing possible abolition find it harder to plan, harder to recruit and harder to commit to long-term projects. Residents, meanwhile, get a long period where nobody can tell them clearly who will be running their social care in three years' time.
What the evidence actually says
A few things are frequently misreported about this process, so they are worth stating carefully. Withdrawal does not mean cancellation. The government has been explicit that areas whose decisions were withdrawn are being reconsidered, not exempted. Lincolnshire is not out of the process. 'Minded to proceed' is also not the end. The five named areas still have at least three weeks for further representations before anything is confirmed. The timetable, as set out, runs like this. Local elections in May 2027 in the affected areas will take place on existing council boundaries. Shadow council elections follow in May 2028. New councils are established in 2029. Surrey is unaffected by all of this. East Surrey and West Surrey unitary authorities go live in April 2027. There is money attached. A £63 million capacity fund will pay £450,000 per previously announced new unitary authority in areas with earlier decisions. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and West Sussex, will each receive £500,000. Initial payments are due in the coming weeks, with the balance after final decisions. Four areas were withdrawn back in September and remain under review: Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock; Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton; Norfolk; and Suffolk. Two areas are still awaiting decisions: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and West Sussex. On city status, the government has committed to prioritising its protection, and says it will consider all options including new legislation if needed.
Practical advice
Nothing changes for you today. Your bins are collected by the same council next week, and your council tax is unchanged by this announcement. If you live in one of the five areas where the government is minded to proceed, this is the window to have a say. There is a minimum three-week period for representations. Check your council's website for how to make one. If you live in Lincolnshire or another area under review, follow your county and district councils' own updates rather than relying on social media. Reorganisation generates a lot of confident, inaccurate commentary. If you receive social care, or a family member does, nothing changes immediately. If you are worried, ask your current council's adult social care team directly rather than assuming. Services transfer with the responsibility; they do not simply stop. Keep an eye out for scams here too. Any message claiming your council is changing and asking you to 'update your council tax details' or 'reconfirm your direct debit' should be treated as fraudulent. Contact your council using the number on an existing bill. If you are planning to vote in May 2027, note that those elections run on existing boundaries, so your ward is unchanged.
What to know
On 29 October 2026 the government said it is minded to proceed with council reorganisation in five areas: East Sussex and Brighton and Hove, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. A minimum three-week period for representations follows before final decisions. Fifteen areas remain under review. Nine had September decisions withdrawn and will be reconsidered, including Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. Four more were withdrawn in September, and two still await decisions. Withdrawal is not cancellation. The government says every area will have an outcome by early next year. The timetable: May 2027 local elections on existing boundaries, shadow council elections in May 2028, new councils in 2029. Surrey is separate, with two unitaries going live in April 2027. A £63 million capacity fund supports the transition, paying £450,000 per previously announced new unitary authority, and £500,000 each to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and to West Sussex. For residents, nothing changes today, and no council will ever text you asking to reconfirm your bank details because of reorganisation. Sources: GOV.UK (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), 'Local Government Reorganisation moves forward in five counties', 29 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/local-government-reorganisation-moves-forward-in-five-counties ; GOV.UK, 'Local government reorganisation programme review and decisions withdrawal: letter to council leaders', September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-programme-review-and-decisions-withdrawal-letter-to-council-leaders ; GOV.UK, 'Local government reorganisation: policy and programme updates', https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-government-reorganisation-policy-and-programme-updates This article covers local government policy and is for general information. If you have concerns about social care or health services, contact your council or GP surgery; this article does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.
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