Today, our three organisations – Anthony Collins, the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) and Collaborate CIC – are announcing an informal partnership to support councils on their road to local government reorganisation (LGR).

LGR represents one of the most significant changes to local government in a generation. Councils across much of England will close and be replaced by new authorities. It is a complex, demanding process that will take years, affect thousands of staff and millions of people.

But it also represents one of the best opportunities this country has to build institutions that can meet the challenges and expectations councils will face in the years ahead.

Councils are about to find themselves at the heart of a new system of local democracy in England. As well as delivering services and leading communities as they have always done, they will act as the democratic connection between neighbourhoods and larger mayoral authorities. And be expected to drive better outcomes for people and places – delivering not just more efficiently, but more effectively.

We’re coming together because while we are very different organisations, we share a concern and a vision for this moment.

Our concern is that without deliberate attention, LGR could succeed on paper but miss the chance to shape institutions that are genuinely better. That the urgent, technocratic elements – achieving a safe and legal transition – overshadow people’s ambition for a genuine transformation.

But if legal and technical completion alone does not equal organisational success, what does? This is a cultural as well as a structural transformation. Successful change and meeting the moment will depend as much on people and relationships as it does on structures and processes. 

To succeed, therefore, councils must bring deep technical expertise together with wider perspectives and understanding that address systems thinking, leadership culture, democratic practice, public participation, and much more.

As organisations working in complementary parts of the local government world, we know that by working together we encompass a much wider set of knowledge and expertise than we do apart.

• Anthony Collins combines deep legal and constitutional expertise with a purpose-driven approach and unrivalled insight into the local government sector. 
• CfGS works with councils and councillors to strengthen governance, scrutiny and democratic leadership, ensuring that new arrangements support effective decision-making and accountability. 
• Collaborate brings a systems view and practical experience in helping councils build the collaborative culture and practices needed to successfully lead in their place alongside local partners.

Together, we are interested in how councils can use this moment well – not just to manage change, but to shape the future. 

We’ll share more in the coming weeks about that and the support we can collectively offer. For now, we simply want to say: we’re here, we’re working together, and we’re ready to help places take this opportunity.

If you’re leading, supporting or advising a place that’s entering LGR, we’d love to hear from you. Let’s start a conversation.