The government has given five more areas the green light to move forward with Local Government Reorganisation, subject to final decisions.
East Sussex and Brighton & Hove, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire are now looking towards April 2029, with shadow elections in May 2028.
Surrey remains on course for April 2027, while 15 other areas are still awaiting decisions, expected by early 2027.
So, LGR is moving forward again.
But here is the question. Are we using the extra time wisely?
At Visionary Network, we are already helping to develop harmonised Council Tax Reduction (CTR) schemes for the two new Surrey authorities, bringing together the arrangements of 11 existing district and borough councils.
And one thing is becoming very clear.
Harmonising CTR is not simply about choosing which existing scheme you like best.
It means understanding thousands of households, different levels of financial vulnerability, competing policy objectives, affordability, collection performance and the consequences of moving people from one scheme to another.
There will be winners and losers. The challenge is understanding who they are, why they are affected and whether those outcomes are justified.
Then there is the modelling, equality analysis, consultation, political decision-making and practical implementation.
None of this happens overnight.
So, if your new authority is going live in April 2029, here is the clock I would be working to:
📍 2027: Understand and design. Analyse existing schemes, model the households, identify the financial implications and develop options.
📍 Early 2028: Test and challenge. Assess equality impacts, refine the proposals and prepare for consultation.
📍 Mid to late 2028: Consult and decide. Engage residents and stakeholders, consider responses and secure decisions.
📍 Early 2029: Implement and test. Configure systems, train staff, communicate changes and prepare for billing.
📍 April 2029: Be ready. The new arrangements need to work for residents, staff and the new council.
There is statutory flexibility to harmonise after vesting day. But that does not remove the work, and it may introduce additional operational complexity.
The government has given councils more time to reorganise. It has not made the work any smaller.
At Visionary Network, we combine practical revenues and benefits experience with detailed caseload analytics, financial modelling, policy design and equality analysis.
We are doing this now in Surrey. We understand the difficult decisions, the potential pitfalls and the importance of getting the timetable right.
And for those authorities still awaiting an LGR decision, there is no reason why the evidence gathering and preparatory work cannot begin.
The earlier you start, the more choices you have. Leave it too late, and the timetable starts making those choices for you.
If you are a Section 151 Officer, Head of Revenues and Benefits or LGR Programme Director, let’s have a conversation about your first 100 days of CTR harmonisation preparation.
#LocalGovernmentReorganisation #LGR #CouncilTaxReduction #LocalGovernment #PublicFinance #VisionaryNetwork