We now have a clearer picture on how our local councils will be organised, if the Government’s plans for local government reorganisation in Essex ever go ahead.
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, has chosen a five unitary proposal, which will see the work of Essex County Council and Epping Forest District Council merged with Harlow and Uttlesford Councils to create one West Essex Council.
I’m not convinced this will do much to improve things for my constituents in Epping Forest, and is going to cost the tax payer a considerable amount of money and inconvenience over many years before everything settles down.
However, for the foreseeable future, services will continue to operate as normal and any new authorities are not expected to come into effect until April 2028, with elections for ‘shadow’ authorities in May 2027.
This means the work of Essex County Council and Epping Forest District Council continues as is for now, so local elections are due to take place this May. It was excellent to see so many Essex Members of Parliament, Borough District and County Councillors and candidates for the May local elections gathering at in the constituency a couple of weeks ago for the launch of the Conservatives’ Essex election campaign, presided over by my party’s leader, and Leader of His Majesty’s Opposition, the Rt. Hon Kemi Badenoch MP.
Kemi’s leadership has been making great strides, setting out a clear alternative to Rachel Reeves’ failed Budget and making the case for lower taxes to give people and businesses more money and to create growth in the economy. In the local elections we’ll be making the case again that in most authorities, it has been the Conservative Party that has kept council tax low whilst providing decent services.
Certainly, the feeling at Hutton Hall among all present was one of unity and great pride in Essex, and all the county offers in terms of business opportunities, entrepreneurialism, brilliant people and wonderful places to live and work. And Kemi, as a fellow Essex MP is only too keen to make sure that we do everything possible to build upon what we have.
