Written Question·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·UIN 80729

Unitary Councils

Tabled: 10 October 2025
Answered: 21 October 2025

Question

Mr Lee Dillon

Liberal DemocratNewbury

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has considered reducing the desired population size for new unitary councils to 300,000 residents.

Answer

Alison McGovern
New unitary councils must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.The 500,000 figure is a guiding principle, not a hard target. We understand the need for flexibility, especially given our ambition to bui...

This is an extract from the Parliament API. Search the full answer on Parliament.uk (UIN 80729) →