Local Government Reorganisation: is there an optimal size for English Unitary Authorities?

In its Devolution White Paper the UK Government sets out its policy to end two-tier local government in England in favour of ‘unitarisation’ - delivering the full range of council services through a single unitary authority rather than separate district and county councils, as is already the norm for Scotland, Wales, and some areas of England. It also states a strong preference for creating unitaries with populations of at least 500,000. But does this make any sense? Does size matter? If so - how? In this episode we explore whether there is an optimal size for councils and the factors that might determine this.

Is bigger always better in local government reorganisations?

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Biscotti Briefing January 2025 - LGR and optimal size of new Unitary Authorities.

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