Parish and town councils warn of financial hit as principal authority elections delayed

Earlier this week (22 January), the Government confirmed plans to postpone elections for 29 councils in order to allow them to focus on local government reorganisation.

In a letter announcing the move, Local Government Minister Alison McGovern said that elections for town and parish councils will still go ahead as they are not undergoing reorganisation.

McGovern’s decision came a day after a statement from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), which argued that there are "significant" implications to excluding first-tier councils.

A NALC spokesperson said that if parish and town council elections go ahead in May 2026 while principal authority elections are postponed, "the full cost of those elections would fall to the parish and town councils concerned, rather than being shared, creating a significant financial burden for many".

NALC also raised concerns that holding parish and town council elections in isolation could lead to lower voter participation.

In addition, the organisation expressed disappointment that the government's letter did not require or encourage principal authorities to engage with parish and town councils in their area when considering whether to defer local elections.

According to NALC, 343 parish and town councils across 15 county association areas (excluding Greater London) are due to hold elections in 2026.

Of this total, 38 parish and town councils are due to have their elections in areas where the government has approved the deferral of principal authority elections.

It added: "This total is 11% of all parish and town council elections due to take place in 2026, and these councils will have to consider how to fund their elections if they still proceed in 2026.

"We call on the government to continue discussions with the sector, and we have offered to provide further evidence and insight to aid the government's decision-making.”

Adam Carey