What are the 10 priorities for chief executives approaching LGR?

As part of LGIU’s role in directly supporting member councils with local government reorganisation (LGR), this article summarises the 10 priorities identified with chief executives through a non-DPP region one-day workshop.

Introduction

Across the two-tier regions of England, chief executives and programme groups meet weekly to discuss LGR. But with major policy development spanning nearly every area of service delivery for councils, how can councils prioritise when it comes to the road ahead for LGR?

What we did

As part of LGIU’s direct support for councils, we recently facilitated an away-day with a non-DPP region grouping of chief executives to unpack and explore how councils can approach LGR ahead of the November business case deadline.

How we did it

Across a one-day event hosted in-person, LGIU co-designed a briefing pack and an agenda with senior officers from the LGR working group to create an agenda comprising three sessions focused on:

1. Strengths and weaknesses of the current model of working
2. Reflections on national and regional developments
3. What does good look like?

Breaking out into workshops and group discussion facilitated by senior LGIU staff, the sessions were followed up with synthesis by LGIU Chief Executive Dr Jonathan Carr-West to identify key takeaways and learnings for council chief executives.

What we learned

Strategic landscape: national, regional and political dynamics

• Participants acknowledged the political and procedural uncertainty surrounding LGR. There is broad recognition that the government’s timeline is tight, its position sometimes ambiguous, and its criteria opaque.
• Devolution remains an aspiration, but doubts linger regarding its coherence with LGR.
• Local government reform is deeply political—ministerial preferences, backbench lobbying, and elections loom large in shaping direction. General elections or party strategies may significantly affect wave 2 areas or delay decisions.

Key risks and challenges identified

• Judicial review risk is real if perceived unfairness or lack of clarity persists.
• The absence of clearly agreed geographies is a major stumbling block, with disagreement about the merits of varying unitary models.
• Concerns about loss of institutional memory and disruption to place identity were raised, especially where boundary changes would impact long-standing district identities.
• Engagement from MPs varies greatly; some areas report little interest or understanding, while others have direct lobbying underway.

Lessons from other authorities (the Cumbria LGR model)

• The importance of strong programme management was a consistent theme. A clear recommendation was made to establish a single point of oversight early, supported by senior responsible officers (SROs).
• Localities need to own the process: submissions should reflect the governance realities on the ground. Even if not preferred, clarity and coherence are essential.
• Communication is pivotal: building trust across councils, with partners, and internally within organisations can make or break transitions.
• Efficiencies and transformation savings will not be immediate—expectation management is crucial.

The role and selection of strategic partners

• Despite early pleas to avoid using consultants there is sector-wide disappointment in the generic nature of support from large consultancy firms with criticisms of laziness and superficial understanding of local context.
• Instead, the emphasis must be on tailored support, understanding local place, Local government reform is deeply political—ministerial preferences, backbench lobbying, and elections loom large in shaping direction.

Programme governance and options appraisal

• Like many, a phased delivery offers a chance to prioritise focus on phases 1 and 2 (pre-submission), rather than broader implementation design which many change as the process continues.
• A need to develop robust, transparent scoring and evaluation frameworks was highlighted—especially around finance, services, and geography.
• Leadership must prepare to engage in politically difficult conversations around consolidation, transition, and service models.

Workstream development and internal capacity

• Councils must identify skilled individuals to lead workstreams, ensuring a balance of political oversight and technical expertise.
• There is an appetite for mirroring future operational structures now to smooth future transition, especially for services like ICT and finance.
• Partners such as health, ICBs, and emergency services should be engaged post-ministerial decision, not during the options appraisal.

Communications and stakeholder engagement

• Communications emerged as a key strategic priority. Myths and misunderstandings among parish and town councils, staff, and members are proliferating.
• A comms subgroup is already in place and should be strengthened and supported by chiefs. Regular bulletins and a neutral web platform are in development.
• There is consensus that over-communication is better than silence, particularly in periods of uncertainty.

Cultural and Organisational Considerations

• The emotional toll on staff, especially chief executives and senior leaders, is significant. Support structures and clear role expectations must be set.
• Future operating models must balance centralisation with local identity, particularly in terms of place-based working and local committees.
• Past experiences suggest a failure to prioritise transformation alongside consolidation leads to years of inefficiency post-LGR.

Future focus and action points

• Emphasis was placed on supporting the options appraisal process with clarity, data, and realism. There was a shared view that success depends on “owning” the proposals.
• A critical path from now to November (submission) and from November to April (government decision) needs careful plotting.

Local governance forums

• Recent announcements on area committees requires a closer look at local governance forums and the boundaries and functions involved in previous LGR examples.
• Sub-council governance can’t be tacked on, local community structures must be an integrated part of the proposal.

How can you get involved?

As one council policy manager said, their new LGR motto is “it’ll get done”. There is no doubt that the local government will rise to the occasion, but as the months ahead face pressure to finalise business cases, there is a diminishing space to step back and critically consider what kind of council you will end up creating in 2027/28?

Will it be one underpinned with strong local foundations, design principles aligned toward transformation and collaborative consensus underpinning programme governance?

To discuss with LGIU and our not-for-profit council-owned role, which can facilitate your specific LGR journey, please feel free to reach out for an informal discussion.