Adur District Council leader tells government that postponement of local elections in 2026 will support local government reorganisation
Released: Thursday, 15 January 2026
The leader of Adur District Council has suggested to the government that postponing local elections in 2026 would free up essential resources needed for local government reorganisation.
New unitary councils are to be created, replacing districts such as Adur.
In a letter to the government, Councillor Jeremy Gardner, the leader of Adur District Council, said:
“This is a once in 50 years opportunity to reshape and improve local government. There is a potential to create councils that can better work with communities to transform services, improve lives and support business.
“The successful development of new unitary authorities depends on the work and the contribution of senior officers and councillors from councils such as Adur.”
In December Alison McGovern, the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness, wrote to all local authorities in England that are currently involved in consultations on reducing the number of councils across the country to improve services and increase efficiency.
The minister invited the leaders of those councils to set out their views on the potential postponement of local elections in their areas, and if they believed it would free up time to progress with local government reorganisation (LGR) effectively, with a deadline of midnight on Thursday 15th January 2026.
Cllr Gardner, has today written to the minister with his belief that a postponement of this year's May elections would bring benefits for the local community.
In his letter, Cllr Gardner said that he had consulted with members of all parties on the council and that they held a range of views both in favour and against the postponement of elections.
However he tells the minister that, in his view, postponement of elections this year would free up council officers to focus over the coming months on essential work needed as part of the local government reorganisation process.
He said:
“Proceeding with elections in 2026 would require significant senior leadership time, during the election campaign and following the election, drawing capacity away from critical LGR planning.
“Postponement would allow us to direct this essential capacity towards the complex legal, constitutional and transformational work required for a successful transition. This requires decisions regarding assets, constitutions and service models. With the ministerial decision on the size and geography of the local unitary authority expected in March 2026, the following months will require significant and immediate efforts to establish new governance arrangements, transition plans and undertake vital staff and stakeholder engagement.
“Elections are a fundamental cornerstone of local democracy. They provide residents with a direct and meaningful way to influence decision-making and hold their local representatives accountable.
“It is my view that the benefits to Adur of a successful transition to a new council, bringing together services and serving the community, outweigh the benefits of scheduled elections in May for councillors in the final period of Adur District Council.”
The government has said it will listen to the views of council leaders who have said they have capacity concerns about running local elections this year.
Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, will now consider whether orders should be made that would allow the postponement of council elections for one year in certain areas, on a case-by-case basis.
To read the full text of Cllr Gardner's letter to the minister, see:
(PR26-005)
Page last updated: 15 January 2026