Gavin Callaghan, Labour leader of Basildon Council in Essex, has been campaigning for a South Essex unitary authority for the past 10 years. "It needs to happen," he said.

One Essex district leader described yesterday’s devolution white paper as “the best Christmas present”, but another told LGC there is a “danger” in rushing towards reorganising. There are 12 districts ...

Under Basildon's proposed model, Essex County Council and the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock - along with the 12 district councils - would be replaced with five unitary ...

A report for Essex CC’s cabinet being discussed this week says the aim is to avoid the risk of “unnecessary fragmentation of services”. It adds: “The county council’s view is that a smaller number of ...

The majority of council leaders in Essex have lent their support to the idea of having five all-purpose authorities in the county, in what will be a radical shake-up of local democracy. The current ...

However, the rest of Essex follows a two-tier system. District councils like Basildon, Castle Point and Chelmsford handle local facilities such as waste collection, street cleaning, and leisure ...

If true, that would mean remaining county councils like those in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire would be scrapped along with their district and borough councils.

Under Basildon's proposed model, Essex County Council and the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock - along with the 12 district councils - would be replaced with five unitary ...