On 10 June 2026, the Local Government Association (LGA) hosted a webinar exploring the experience of being a councillor in a unitary authority.
The session brought together councillors who have transitioned into unitary councillors following local government reorganisation (LGR), offering practical insights, reflections and advice for those preparing for, or currently navigating, similar change.
Paul Clarke, Assistant Director for Regional Support and Improvement at the LGA, chaired a panel discussion comprising three experienced unitary councillors: Councillor Martin Tett (Buckinghamshire Council), Councillor Ross Henley (Somerset Council) and Councillor Lisa Hinton (Cumberland Council).
Watch the webinar
Understanding the shift to a unitary role
All speakers explained that the transition to a unitary councillor role involves a significant expansion in scope.
Councillors reflected on moving from district-level responsibilities, such as planning and housing, to taking on service areas with a much larger scope and spend including adult social care, children’s services and education. This shift brings both increased responsibility and a steep learning curve, particularly for those without prior county-level experience.
Speakers emphasised that the scale of decision-making changes considerably. As Councillor Tett noted, the role becomes broader and more strategic, requiring councillors to engage with complex financial and service delivery challenges across a much larger organisation.
Managing change through LGR
Panellists were clear that LGR is not a single event but a long-term transformation process. Vesting day marks the beginning, not the end, of change.
Councillors described the transition as operationally and emotionally demanding—particularly for staff. Workforce uncertainty, restructuring, and competition for roles within the new authority were recurring challenges. Maintaining stability required strong leadership, clear communication, and early appointment of senior roles.
Speakers also highlighted the importance of programme management structures, including dedicated transition teams and member oversight, to ensure delivery stays on track. At the same time, maintaining business-as-usual services was critical, adding pressure to already stretched organisations.
A further challenge was data and systems integration, with different councils often holding inconsistent or incomplete information. Getting a clear understanding of data—particularly financial data—was described as essential for a successful transition.
Finance and expectations
Financial pressures emerged as a central theme throughout the discussion.
Speakers emphasised that while LGR is often presented as a cost-saving exercise, financial benefits are typically realised over the longer term, not immediately. Councils must manage expectations from residents and stakeholders, particularly around council tax and service delivery.
Panellists also warned of risks during transition, including the possibility of legacy authorities committing expenditure or contracts ahead of vesting day. A clear and early understanding of the financial position was described as critical to avoiding longer-term challenges.
Opportunities for improvement
Despite the challenges, speakers were positive about the opportunities that LGR can create.
Bringing services together in a single authority allows for:
- stronger integration of services (for example, linking housing with health and wellbeing)
- greater strategic influence with partners such as the NHS
- opportunities to adopt and scale best practice from across former councils.
Councillors also highlighted the ability to shape a new organisational identity, from values and culture through to governance structures and priorities.
Maintaining local connection at scale
Panellists highlighted that a key concern for many councillors is how to maintain strong community engagement across larger wards.
Panellists shared a range of approaches to ensuring residents’ voices remain central:
- Establishing local area forums or community panels to bring decision-making closer to communities
- Strengthening relationships with parish and town councils
- Using informal engagement, such as local events and community networks
Councillor Hinton described Cumberland’s community panels as a successful model for enabling local input and co-production, while Councillor Henley highlighted the importance of being visible and embedded within communities across larger, more rural geographies.
Skills, support and wellbeing
The panel reflected that the expanded role of unitary councillors requires new skills and ongoing development.
Speakers emphasised the value of:
- training and support, including LGA development programmes
- learning from other councils and sharing experiences
- asking questions and engaging proactively with officers.
Alongside this, the importance of personal resilience and wellbeing was strongly emphasised. Councillors spoke openly about the intensity of the role, including workload, public scrutiny and the risk of burnout. Managing time effectively and building support networks were highlighted as essential.
Key advice for councillors
The session concluded with reflections and advice for those going through LGR:
- Embrace the opportunity: Once a decision is made, focus on shaping the new authority positively.
- Be realistic about the journey: Transformation takes time beyond vesting day.
- Focus on fundamentals: Finance, data, and leadership are critical.
- Engage widely: With staff, residents, partners and fellow councillors.
- Look after yourself: The role is demanding, and support networks matter.