Leaders and senior officials at Warwickshire councils are set to receive an update from the government on plans for new unitary authorities today (Thursday, October 29).

Nationally-led plans to abolish Warwickshire's six county, district and borough councils and replace them with unitary authorities – new councils that deal with all major services under one level of local government – have been in the pipeline since December 2024.

Earlier this year, the national government decided Warwickshire should have two unitary councils, one covering the boroughs of Nuneaton & Bedworth, North Warwickshire and Rugby in the north and another covering the districts of Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon in the south.

The other option of one new county-wide unitary was rejected.

The process, known as local government reorganisation, was then put on hold in most of the affected areas amid legal challenges to decisions of how new councils and warding arrangements would be made up.

Although no such challenge came forward in Warwickshire, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner MP announced in parliament in July that all decisions would be reviewed with the exception of Surrey where the legal processes to change had already begun.

Things have been quiet since with chief executive of Stratford-on-Avon District Council David Buckland reporting to his scrutiny panel as recently as Wednesday (October 28) morning that he had received no timeframe from government officials, although he said that "information suggests it could be tomorrow (Thursday)".

And by Wednesday night, that prediction had sprouted legs through an announcement by the leader of Warwick District Council.

Download our Nub News App!

- It’s FREE and available now
- Breaking news notifications
- Your Town in Your Pocket

Cllr Ian Davison told a meeting of full council: "I had thought it was quiet on the LGR and devolution front but just today, our chief executive and I have been asked to a meeting tomorrow with the minister for local government, devolution and regional growth Jim McMahon, so change may be on its way."

The July pause saw the extensive work being done by the six current Warwickshire councils put on hold, despite warnings that meeting the April 2028 start date for the new authorities to fully kick in would be a challenge.

District and borough councils were told in a letter that they should prepare to hold elections to existing district and borough councils in May 2027 instead of the new councils as planned, although Ms Rayner caveated that with "unless we are in a position to hold elections to new unitary councils" when fielding questions in parliament following that July announcement.

That uncertainty remains one of the primary concerns for councillors and local parties with prospective candidates not knowing whether they are putting themselves forward for a one-year term at a council that is set to be axed or a full term at a new authority with much bigger responsibilities.