On 16 September, Rochford Council will hold a debate on Local Government Reorganisation. This follows the Government’s Devolution White Paper in which they set out to replace the current ‘two-tier’ system of local government with ‘single tier’ unitary authorities. The Government invited Essex authorities to produce proposals for how larger all-purpose unitary councils could improve the delivery of essential public services across the county. The final proposals are required to be submitted to the Government by 26 September.
Currently, there are a number of formal business cases being worked on in Essex which propose between three and five new unitary councils across Essex:
- A five unitary councils proposal where the Rochford district would join Southend and Castle Point.
- A three unitary councils proposal where the Rochford district could join Southend, Castle Point, Basildon and Thurrock.
- A four unitary council proposal where the Rochford district could join Basildon, Southend and Castle Point.
At the last meeting of the full Council on 22 July, councillors agreed to investigate a further option. Following this meeting, Best4Essex has been released, which proposes four new unitary authorities for Essex where Rochford would join Maldon, Chelmsford and Brentwood. The Best4Essex business case will be considered at an Extraordinary Council Meeting on 16 September.
Councillor Danielle Belton, Leader of Rochford District Council, said: “We are here to represent our residents in response to the Government’s agenda for reorganisation of local government. We recently undertook a survey with over 1000 respondents from across the district. People told us that they would want simpler, accountable councils that protect services, are closer to communities and financially sustainable, and reflects what they consider to be local identity.
“I will be recommending to the Council that Best4Essex is selected as our preferred proposal as I believe it delivers on all of the above and is the only option that delivers certainty, sustainability and ambition for every part of our county.
“The decision as to which proposal Rochford Council will ultimately support will be one taken by the whole council.”
Read the Best4Essex Executive Summary.
Read the full Best4Essex proposal.
The final plans then need be submitted to the Government by 26 September 2025.