Plans for Ridgeway Council Paused by Rayner

Plans for Ridgeway Council - joining up West Berkshire with bits of Oxfordshire - have been paused by Communities Secretary Ms Rayner, citing a legal hitch.

Ridgeway was one of 14 new council structures put forward in the government's local government review. Proposals to merge smaller councils in Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk have been withdrawn, and plans for 14 other areas will be reviewed and paused.

"Hundreds of officer hours and tens of thousands of pounds have already been spent on this," he said. "We also have elections for this in May next year so I hope this is all resolved soon otherwise it will be a total mess."

The government confirmed local elections in May 2027 would go ahead on existing council boundaries. Ms Rayner will announce the review in Parliament later.

She is expected to tell MPs that "in light of legal advice, I want to satisfy myself firstly that the right process is in place, that it is robust, and of course complies with the law". "And secondly, I want to fully test whether our proposals for local government reorganisation meet the priorities of a new administration and a new Prime Minister and any additional considerations," she will add.

Ridgeway was proposed - and adopted by the government earlier this year. It would see West Berkshire join South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse.

Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter