Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner announced on Monday (7 September 2026) that the government was with withdrawing its decisions on reorganisation in Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, while plans in a further 14 areas will be reviewed and paused.
Surrey’s reorganisation, where councillors for two new unitary authorities were elected in May, will not be affected.
NAWDO said that the announcement has left councils that had already invested time and money in planning future waste and recycling services facing an uncertain future.
A spokesperson for the association commented: “The future is now extremely uncertain. If we do not know the formation and number of councils that will exist in impacted areas we cannot plan for the future, and opportunities for optimising waste and recycling services will continue to be pushed back.”
However, NAWDO said the extended timetable could provide an opportunity for government to reinstate legislation allowing the creation of Joint Waste Authorities, which it said could protect waste services from fragmentation.
It also suggested the government could use the additional time to develop its devolution offer, potentially allowing waste services to be delivered at Strategic Authority level, as is already the case in Greater Manchester.
Councils offer mixed responses
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils, also criticised the uncertainty created by the announcement, although it acknowledged that councils would have different views on LGR in their areas.
It said councils had already invested “scarce public money” and significant staff time in the programme, adding that councils need certainty to plan how they will deliver services to residents.
The LGA called for a clear timetable and said councils’ expertise should be embedded in future decisions on reorganisation.
The response from individual councils has varied.
In Hertfordshire, County Council leader Councillor Steve Jarvis welcomed the review of plans to create four new unitary authorities.
He described the proposed structure as “the most expensive, disruptive and complex option”, and raised concerns about one of the proposed councils having a budget deficit from day one.
In West Sussex, meanwhile, the county council expressed frustration that a process which had been running for more than 18 months remained unresolved.
The council said its immediate concern was ensuring staff, councillors, residents, communities and businesses were kept informed, while calling on government to finalise the LGR programme so the future structure and timetable could be understood.
What is Local Government Reorganisation?
LGR is the government’s programme to replace England’s two-tier system of county and district councils with single-tier unitary authorities.
Under the existing system, county councils are responsible for services including transport, social care and education, while district and borough councils typically manage services such as housing, planning and waste collection.
Under a unitary model, these responsibilities are brought together under a single authority.
The government invited councils in 21 two-tier areas, alongside neighbouring smaller unitary authorities, to develop proposals for new unitary structures.
The review will now test whether the process had been robust and lawful, as well as whether the proposals fit with the priorities of the new administration.
What does it mean for waste services?
In two-tier areas, district and borough councils typically manage waste collection, while county councils act as waste disposal authorities.
The creation of a unitary authority therefore brings the two sides of the waste service together, potentially allowing councils to take a more integrated approach to collection, treatment and disposal.
But bringing services together also creates a substantial operational challenge.
New authorities would need to decide how to harmonise collection systems, including bin types, collection frequencies and recycling rules.
Existing contracts also pose difficulties for transition, leaving councils with collection routes or depots that are no longer operationally efficient following a change in boundaries.
For councils already preparing for LGR, the pause therefore creates a difficult balance.
With the government now reviewing the programme, councils and the waste industry face another period of uncertainty over the shape of future local waste services, and how much longer planned changes will have to wait.
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