The government’s decision to pause elements of its Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) programme in over 10 areas across England provides an opportunity to step back and consider what this means for effective public sector communications.
The review also reflects a wider evolution in government thinking. Increasingly, the debate is no longer simply about creating larger local authorities but about creating the institutional foundations required for strategic place leadership, fiscal devolution and integrated public services.
The timing is significant and has far-reaching ramifications as communicators, commentators and the public prepare for this week’s Budget. The government has made shifting power, funding and accountability from Westminster to local leaders a central part of its plans. Its approach is intended to support growth, improve public services and give communities greater control over decisions that impact them, rerouting power from London to across the country. As my colleague, Sami Garratt, commented in August (read more here), this is being heralded by many (especially Andy Burnham, who hits his first 100 days on October 27th) as the opportunity to ‘re-wire the UK economy’. Recent analysis from Centre for Cities suggests the next phase of devolution will be judged as much by fiscal empowerment and local revenue retention as by governance reform alone[i].
It feels like a long time ago now but the return from summer recess has brought notable change. Back in September, the government withdrew existing Local Government Reorganisation decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Norfolk and Suffolk and announced a wider review of the programme. Decisions affecting a further 14 areas have been paused while the review takes place. Despite this, Communities Secretary Angela Rayner has commented on the government’s ambition to still deliver the devolution timetable by the end of 2028[ii].
For communications professionals, the pause also creates an opportunity to reconsider how the story of devolution is being told, considering the local intricacies for the communities it impacts. While policy discussions often focus on structures, governance and accountability, residents and businesses are far more likely to judge reform by whether it improves their everyday experience of public services. The challenge for communicators is therefore not simply explaining organisational change but helping audiences understand what that change means to their day-to-day lives and the services they engage with.
This is not new, The Local Government Association published a ‘Lessons learned in communicating devolution’[iii] back in 2020, which highlighted seven core opportunities for communicating devolution as part of a wider communicating devolution toolkit, including ‘A commitment to partnership working and recognising the value of strategic communications.’
Whilst the opportunity remains, so too do the competing priorities for over-stretched teams, many of whom have been increasingly asked to ‘do more with less’. Six years on, many of these remain, against a more complicated backdrop of political and economic changes. With the additional challenge of AI and the rise in conversations around misinformation, many could view the general public as more sceptical of the messages they receive from their local or combined authorities than in previous generations.
Emerging strategic authorities and mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) are increasingly required to build public understanding, stakeholder confidence and institutional legitimacy, alongside the delivery of services and growth programmes. Perhaps even greater than MCAs’ current funding power is their convening power, bringing together public and private sector stakeholders, leaders across education, housing and wider civic society behind a clear set of strategic priorities for an area. This requires building trusted relationships with those stakeholder groups and inspiring partnership action to deliver on priorities effectively. At Social, we have delivered a range of stakeholder conferences for York and North York Combined Authority and Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority earlier in 2026, which did exactly this – putting communications and engagement at the forefront as a strategic function.
What next? The Budget.
This week’s Autumn Budget is expected to shape the next phase of devolution, with growing attention on fiscal powers, local growth incentives and place-based investment models.
Housing is also likely to feature prominently in the Budget. Ahead of the Chancellor’s statement, the government has confirmed that more than £1 billion of additional funding for social and affordable housing in England will be allocated, taking the 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme beyond £40 billion[iv]. The package is also expected to be accompanied by measures designed to give local authorities and strategic leaders greater flexibility to support localised housebuilding and regeneration.
Beyond the headlines, the announcement reinforces a central theme running through both devolution and local government reform, that places require the tools, resources and local leadership needed to address long-standing economic and social challenges. Affordable and social housing is increasingly recognised not simply as a housing policy issue but as a foundation for growth, workforce participation, health outcomes and community resilience.
New housing developments, transport infrastructure projects and town centre renewal programmes can all generate resistance when viewed as isolated interventions. When framed as part of a broader story about a place’s future, they are far more likely to secure public understanding and support. The emergence of strategic authorities may create a stronger platform for these conversations. By aligning housing, transport, skills, investment and regeneration around a common geography, devolved institutions have the opportunity to tell more coherent stories about how places can grow and change over time.
Whatever happens next in the evolution of regional English devolution, success is unlikely to be measured solely by structures or governance reform. It will be measured by whether people feel decisions are being made closer to them, whether places can demonstrate growth and opportunity, and whether local leaders can build trust through change. Communications will not simply support that transition but may determine whether it succeeds.
The anticipated investment in social and affordable housing provides an early indication of how this next phase of devolution may be judged. Additional funding is important, but its success will depend on whether local leaders can translate national investment into outcomes that communities can see and experience. As strategic authorities take on greater responsibility for housing, regeneration and growth, effective communications will become increasingly important in building public trust, stakeholder alignment and local consensus needed to turn investment into lasting change.
Written by Matthew Geer, Head of London
[i] Adding up: What fiscal devolution will mean for England’s mayors | Centre for Cities
[iv] Budget to include £1bn for social and affordable housing – BBC News