11/09/2026
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION: THE GOVERNMENT HAS PRESSED RESET
The Government has today withdrawn its previous decision on Local Government Reorganisation in Essex and announced a review of the LGR process.
This is a significant development for Castle Point.
PIP has been consistent throughout this process. We did not support Local Government Reorganisation in principle.
Our concern has always been that creating larger unitary councils risks taking decisions further away from the residents they are supposed to serve.
Local government works best when residents can see, speak to and hold their local representatives to account.
However, once the Government decided that LGR was going ahead, we looked carefully at the different options being considered for Castle Point. Of the proposals on the table, we believed the five-unitary model was the best solution available to Castle Point.
The proposal to create a South East Essex unitary council bringing together Castle Point, Rochford and Southend was preferable to the alternative of combining Castle Point with Basildon and Thurrock.
That is why PIP supported the Government's decision earlier this year. Supporting the best option available is not the same as supporting the principle of LGR.
Today, the Government has withdrawn its Essex decision following updated legal advice and announced a wider review of the LGR programme. Councils have also been told to stop work on implementing the previous decisions while the review takes place.
We welcome the opportunity to reconsider what happens next.
But we will continue to judge any proposal on one simple question:
Does it put the interests of Castle Point residents first?
If the Government is going back to the drawing board, it should consider whether creating ever-larger councils really brings decision making closer to the people, or takes it further away.
For PIP, local democracy matters.
We believe Castle Point residents should have a strong voice in the decisions that affect their communities.
So while we supported the five-unitary model as the best option available, we remain clear about our underlying principle:
Local decisions should be made as close to local people as possible.
The Government has pressed the reset button.
We will examine what comes next carefully and continue to fight for the best possible outcome for Castle Point.
Local people. Local priorities. Local decisions
