The Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution invited Essex Leaders, to develop and submit a proposal for a single tier local government.  Following extensive work on a range of options, this report seeks Cabinet’s support for a submission making the case for establishing five new unitary councils for Greater Essex.  One of those unitaries being North-East Essex Council, in which Tendring would merge with Braintree and Colchester, along with the disaggregation of Essex County Council.

The support for this option over others is based upon Key Principles for Tendring as expressed by elected Members:-

• Keeping local government as local as possible and embedding local accountability;
• Sense of place and recognising the geographical linkages;
• The structures of existing partnerships within North-East Essex and joined up decision making;
• Ensuring on-going delivery of high-quality services; and
• The option is financially sustainable.

The evidence seen by this Council indicates that “The proposal for growth: five new Unitary Councils for Essex” option meets the statutory criteria and is viable financially across Greater Essex, with the unitary authorities proposed being sustainable, based on good stewardship.  The ‘five new Unitary Councils’ option would also support devolution and ensure all areas of Greater Essex were equitably represented on the Mayoral Combined County Authority.

RESOLVED that Cabinet, in response to the formal invitation from the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution to submit proposals for a single tier of local government for Greater Essex by 26 September 2025, in accordance with the statutory criteria as set out in the invitation:-

(a)  supports the principles of the case for five new unitary councils for Essex, with the District of Tendring forming part of the proposed new North East Essex Unitary Council based on:

(i)              keeping local government as local as possible and embedding local accountability;

(ii)             sense of place and recognising the geographical linkages;

(iii)            the structures of existing partnerships and joined up decision making;

(iv)            ensuring on going delivery of high quality services; and

(v)             the option is financially viable and sustainable on the basis of good stewardship by the future unitary councils; and

(vi)            the statutory criteria have been addressed.

(b)  agrees that Tendring District Council is included as a supporting council to the Final Plan for Local Government Reorganisation “The proposal for growth:  Five new unitary councils for Essex” for submission in response to the Minister’s invitation;

(c)   agrees that it may be necessary for the Leader, upon receipt of and detailed consideration of additional information following Cabinet’s decision, to make a further decision before submission within the deadline given by the Secretary of State, based upon the Key Principles for Tendring;

(d)  in respect of (c) the Leader will inform all Members and consult the Chief Executive, prior to any such decision being made;

(e)  notes that in response to the statutory consultation stage to undertaken by Government, formal decisions will be taken by the Leader, in consultation with the Chief Executive, without reference to Cabinet/Council but following notification to all Members of his proposed draft response; and

(f)    supports the Leader and Chief Executive continuing to provide periodic briefings to Members (and reports as necessary) as the agenda around devolution and local government reorganisation develops locally, acknowledging the extensive detail they will need to convey as this process proceeds.

Cabinet recalled that, on 5 February 2025, the then Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution (“the Minister”) had confirmed acceptance of the request from Essex County Council, Southend City Council, and Thurrock Council to join the Priority Devolution Programme and had invited all the Council Leaders in Greater Essex to develop a proposal for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).  The invitation was attached as Appendix A to the Leader of the Council’s report.

Cabinet was aware that the Secretary of State would decide on the final shape of LGR (expected in March 2026), informed by those proposals and a government-led statutory consultation in the Autumn of 2025. 

Criteria for Unitary Local Government

It was reported that the Government’s Devolution and LGR agenda outlined a clear ambition for sustainably simplifying local authority structures, enhancing local democratic accountability and driving economic growth.  Guidance within the Schedule to the Secretary of State’s LGR invitation letter had set out the Criteria for unitary local government which included as follows:

1.     A proposal should seek to achieve for the whole of the area concerned the establishment of a single tier of local government.

2.     Unitary local government must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.

3.     Unitary structures must prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens.

4.     Proposals should show how councils in the area have sought to work together in coming to a view that meets local needs and is informed by local views.

5.     New unitary structures must support devolution arrangements.

6.     New unitary structures should enable stronger community engagement and deliver genuine opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment.

The Interim Plan

Members were informed that the invitation had required that an Interim Plan be provided to Government on, or before, 21 March 2025, setting out progress on developing proposals for LGR in line with the criteria and guidance.  The invitation had set out a list of matters the Interim Plan should cover.

The Interim Plan submitted for Greater Essex had set out the progress made as at 21 March 2025, by local authorities in developing proposals for LGR within the area.  The Interim Plan had been submitted to full Council on 11 March 2025 (Minute 117 referred).

The Interim Plan had been developed by councils across Essex, with this Council taking the lead, working collaboratively, both to explore new unitary structures, and the working arrangements required to enable the development of full reorganisation proposals, in the interests of local residents.  Feedback had been received from MHCLG in their letter dated 7 May 2025, which was included within Appendix B to the Leader’s report.

Development of final LGR proposals:

It was reported that, following submission of the Interim Plan and MHCLG’s feedback, two workstreams had commenced. One had focused on the five unitary authority (5UA) model lead by Southend-on-Sea City Council and a second focused on alternative options, being led by Essex County Council.  Two individual councils had subsequently sought to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53