Event title
- Public Policy Webinar: When the Sun Goes Down
Location
Date
- Wednesday 13 May 2026, 11:00-12:00
Keynote speakers
- Rachel Barker (Director of Reviews, Strategy and Engagement, Local Government Boundary Commission for England)
- Laurence Ainsworth (Executive Director of Resources, Lancashire County Council)
- Richard Flinton (Chief Executive, North Yorkshire Council)
Event details
The wave of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) heralded by the English Devolution Bill represents the most significant structural upheaval outside of central government since the 1970s.
The creation of new unitary authorities is designed to increase productivity and streamline governance, to the desired end of providing residents with better quality public services.
The logistical challenge of merging multiple district authorities into these new authorities cannot, however, be overstated.
The outcome of LGR is already being rapidly shaped by the production of interim plans, consultations, and ‘shadow’ transition work (formal or informal) which are accelerating decision-making before all details are settled.
The ‘design choices’ being made now will have massive consequences for local government down the line.
As while governance and operational decisions may look technical, they become political.
These choices include:
- warding and representation,
- scrutiny and standards,
- committee structures,
- delegation,
- locality arrangements,
- senior officer responsibilities, and
- the integration of contracts, data, and systems.
They are the ‘load-bearing beams’ of a new authority. Once set, they will constrain what is feasible for finance, services, and legitimacy for at least a generation.
All of these questions are increasing the already significant pressure on senior local government leadership capacities and constantly changing central government decisions on election timings and governance continuity, makes early clarity unusually valuable.
This webinar will be a chance to discuss all of the above and address how LGR can be delivered successfully with an audience made up of local government officers, academics and central government officials.
To book to attend to this free online event, participants can access .
Organised by Localis.