Shared Intelligence: Learning the Lessons from Local Government Reorganisation

This report from Shared Intelligence examines the lessons learned from the two recent waves of local government reorganisation in England: the creation of unitary councils in the 1990s and in 2009.  

Drawing on interviews with senior political and managerial leaders and peer review evidence, the report assesses how different models of unitary government have performed over time. Rather than arguing for or against unitaries, it focuses on councils’ capacity to meet today’s challenges, including austerity, service demand, devolution, financial self‑sufficiency and public service reform, and what this implies for any future reorganisation.  

The report’s research found that:

Two distinct models emerged: smaller, district‑based unitaries in the 1990s and larger, county‑wide unitaries in 2009.

Larger unitaries have delivered greater economies of scale, lower back‑office costs and stronger financial resilience.

Many smaller 1990s unitaries faced capacity constraints, particularly in adult social care and children’s services.

“Under‑bounded” geographies in smaller unitaries limit strategic decision‑making on housing, transport, health and growth.

Effective performance depends on the interaction of scale, geography and sense of place, supported by strong leadership and collaboration.  

Recommendations both government and local authorities include:

Prioritise scale and geography that support financial sustainability and service resilience.

Avoid further fragmentation of social care and education services.

Ensure boundaries reflect functional economies and people’s sense of place.  

Combine scale with strong locality governance to maintain community engagement.

Approach reform cautiously, learning from past disruption and legacy issues.

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