Local Government Secretary reverses position to postpone Pendle elections as Essex bid for delay fails

He also refused to delay elections in Essex County Council, despite considering another submission from the local authority on the matter.

The Secretary of State confirmed plans last week (22 January) to postpone elections for almost half of the councils set to undergo local government reorganisation.

He said the move would help release capacity within councils to "focus their full energy on the complex reorganisation process".

The decision was taken after receiving representations from all 63 affected local authorities on postponements.

Reed had initially said elections for Essex County Council and Pendle Borough Council would go ahead as normal.

However, both councils made further representations to the Secretary of State following the submission deadline.

Reed has since confirmed plans to include Pendle in the legislation to postpone local elections, but not Essex.

Writing to Essex, he said he recognised the "significant demands" facing the council.

"However, in reaching my decision I placed particular weight on the fact that the Council has not made a clear and unambiguous case for postponement through its formal representations and your repeated statements that the Council would not be seeking postponement," he wrote.

The Secretary of State meanwhile told Pendle that he had reversed his decision after taking into account further evidence that postponing the election would enable the council to release capacity to support the delivery of reorganisation.

Cllr Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council, said: “As previously announced, the Government has reiterated that Essex County Council elections due to take place in May 2026 will go ahead as planned.

“Election planning is well underway. We will now consider how we can effectively manage resources to support the system-wide preparations for Local Government Reorganisation, alongside elections in May.”

Adam Carey