Warwickshire's two new unitary councils are on hold while the Government reviews its own decision. The May 2027 district elections go ahead on existing wards.

The plan to abolish Warwick District Council and Warwickshire County Council and replace them with two new unitary authorities has been paused. The Government announced a review of its own decision on 7 September, less than eight weeks after taking it.

Both councils have now responded. The county council’s leader wants the Government to pay Warwickshire back for the money already spent.

For residents, one thing is settled. The district elections in May 2027 will go ahead, on the existing ward boundaries, for a council that may still be abolished afterwards.

What the Government actually said

The announcement came in a letter to council leaders from Jim McMahon OBE MP, Minister for Local Government, Devolution and Regional Growth, dated 7 September 2026. It followed what the letter calls “updated legal advice”, the content of which is not disclosed: the letter states that “for the avoidance of doubt no privilege is waived”.

The letter does three things:

  • It withdraws the reorganisation decisions taken in March 2026 for four areas: Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock; Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton; Norfolk; and Suffolk.
  • It pauses and reviews the 14 decisions announced in July 2026, plus Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and West Sussex, where decisions had not yet been taken.
  • It confirms that “elections scheduled to take place in May 2027 will go ahead to existing council boundaries”, rather than to the boundaries of councils that do not yet exist.

The new East Surrey and West Surrey councils are already established and sit outside the review.

Warwickshire is not named in the letter, and the Government’s own press release does not list the 14 areas either. Both Warwickshire councils have since confirmed that the county is one of them. No date has been given for when the review will finish.

What was decided in July, and is now on hold

On 16 July 2026 the Government decided to replace Warwickshire’s six councils with two unitary authorities:

  • a northern council covering North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and Rugby
  • a southern council covering Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick districts

That would have put Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth and Whitnash into a single authority with Stratford-on-Avon, running everything from bin collections to adult social care.

It was not what the county council asked for. Warwickshire County Council’s final proposal, published on 28 November 2025, was for one unitary council covering the whole county. The council argued that a single authority would deliver “at least £18.7 million in annual net benefits” compared with a two-unitary model, and “up to £119 million in long-term transformation savings”.

Timeline of local government reorganisation in Warwickshire Six dated stages, from the Government's invitation to councils on 5 February 2025, through Warwickshire County Council's single-unitary proposal on 28 November 2025, the consultation from 5 February to 26 March 2026, the Government's decision on two unitary councils on 16 July 2026, the pause and review announced on 7 September 2026, and the district elections due in May 2027 on existing boundaries. Warwickshire reorganisation: how it got here Every stage below is taken from the councils' own published documents. 5 February 2025 Government invites Warwickshire's six councils to propose a new structure 28 November 2025 County council's final proposal: ONE council for all of Warwickshire 5 February to 26 March 2026 Government-led public consultation 16 July 2026 Government decides on TWO councils: Warwick joins Stratford in the south 7 September 2026 Decision paused and put under review. No end date given May 2027 Warwick district elections go ahead, on the existing 17 wards Sources: Warwickshire County Council, Warwick District Council and MHCLG. Graphic by The Leamington Post
The stages of Warwickshire's reorganisation, and the point at which it stopped.

“Warwickshire taxpayers should not be left footing the bill”

Warwickshire County Council published its response on 9 September. Its leader, Councillor George Finch, said he would write to the Government asking to be reimbursed.

“Significant time, effort and taxpayers’ money have been committed to a process that the Government has now decided to pause,” he said. “Warwickshire taxpayers should not be left footing the bill for the Government’s changing plans.”

He called on the Government to “provide clear answers about what happens next, how much this review will cost and when councils and residents can expect certainty”, saying councils need “a clear direction or a credible timetable”.

Warwick District Council’s statement, issued the day before, was shorter and more guarded. “We note the Government’s announcement and will consider the details carefully,” it said. “At this stage, we do not know the full implications for Local Government Reorganisation in Warwickshire.”

All six Warwickshire councils “will continue to work together and engage with the Government as further information becomes available”, the district council added, and remain “focused on delivering services for residents, communities and businesses”.

The election that is now back on

The clearest practical consequence is electoral.

Warwick District Council elects all of its councillors at once, every four years, normally on the first Thursday in May, across 17 wards. Its last all-out election was on 4 May 2023, so the next is due in May 2027.

Under the reorganisation timetable, that election would have been replaced by a vote for a shadow authority covering Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon. It is now a normal district election on the current boundaries.

Voters in Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth and Whitnash will therefore elect a full council for a four-year term, to an authority the Government has said it intends to abolish but has now stopped abolishing. North Warwickshire, Rugby and Stratford-on-Avon are in the same position. There are no county council elections in 2027.

The county council’s own page still says April 2028

As of 10 September, Warwickshire County Council’s reorganisation page still carried the old timetable, listing “Proposed April/May 2027 Elections (Shadow authorities)” and “Proposed April 2028 Vesting day for new unitary councils”. Both were superseded by the Government’s announcement three days earlier.

If you see April 2028 quoted as the date your council changes, including on official pages, treat it as out of date until the review reports.

What it means for you

Nothing changes about the services you use, and nothing changes on your bill.

  • Your bin collections, council tax and planning applications are unaffected. Warwick District Council still collects your bins and sets its own precept. Warwickshire County Council still runs schools, social care and the roads. Our bin collection days and council tax bands pages are unchanged.
  • The two council lines on your council tax bill stay separate. The merger of the county and district lines into one was tied to a new council starting, and there is now no date for that.
  • You will get a vote in May 2027, for Warwick District Council as it exists today, in the ward you live in now.
  • Planning is unaffected for the time being. The South Warwickshire Local Plan, covered on our planning news page, is a joint plan with Stratford-on-Avon District Council and was already being prepared across both districts.
  • Expect no quick answers. The Government has not said how long the review will take, and neither council knows the outcome.

Frequently asked questions

Is Warwick District Council still being abolished?

Not for now. The Government decided on 16 July 2026 to replace Warwickshire’s six councils with two unitary authorities, then announced on 7 September 2026 that it was pausing and reviewing that decision. No date has been given for when the review will report.

Will the May 2027 elections still happen?

Yes. The Government’s letter says elections scheduled for May 2027 will go ahead to existing council boundaries. For this area that means a normal all-out election to Warwick District Council, across its current 17 wards. There are no county council elections in 2027.

Which council would Leamington have been in?

Under the July 2026 decision, Warwick district would have joined Stratford-on-Avon in a new southern unitary council. A separate northern council would have covered North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and Rugby.

Does this change my council tax or bin collections?

No. Warwick District Council still collects your bins and sets its own council tax precept, and Warwickshire County Council still runs social care, schools and the roads. The two lines on your bill stay separate.

Why was the decision paused?

The Government’s letter refers to “updated legal advice” but does not say what that advice was, stating that “for the avoidance of doubt no privilege is waived”. The accompanying announcement says the aim is to test whether the process is robust, complies with the law, and matches the priorities of the current administration.

Sources