Is your museum ready for local government reform in England?

Identify risks, get your impact data in order, and map out who your stakeholders are – these are some of the key things museums in England should be doing ahead of the upcoming reorganisation of the local government system, according to Arts Council England (ACE).

The arm’s-length body has produced a checklist for the sector as the UK Government prepares to make fundamental changes to the local authority landscape.

First outlined in the government’s white paper on English Devolution in 2024, over the next few years the radical reorganisation will see the end of two-tier county/district councils, which will be replaced by larger, single-tier authorities designed to serve populations of at least 500,000 and oversee all local public services.

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The local government reorganisation will affect the 21 county areas of England that still operate under the two-tier structure, as well as 19 “small neighbouring unitary authorities” that will be integrated into the new, larger unitary authorities. In total, 164 borough and district councils operating in these counties will be completely abolished (see box below).

The government hopes the changes will achieve greater operational efficiency and financial resilience, giving residents a single point of contact and accountability for local issues.

Aimed at local authority-reliant and independent museums, ACE’s checklist advises senior leaders to work with colleagues to pull together information that will help promote understanding of their museum service, the risks and responsibilities it faces, and its value.

The checklist advises senior leaders to ensure “museums are represented and your voice is heard” in the planning and transition teams for local government reorganisation.

“Museums will have a lower profile than larger statutory services, so your priority is to proactively ensure that they are considered in the planning process – their value is understood and risks/legal obligations are not overlooked,” says the checklist.  

“Museums may previously have operated under authorities that were not responsible for major statutory service areas such as adult social care, children’s services, or highways. Gaining insight into how your museums relate to these areas and can work alongside them will be essential.”

The guidance goes on to warn that the “value and potential of museums will not necessarily be recognised initially by the officers and shadow elected members you will be working with”.

It advises museums to “identify risks to the service, as well as opportunities for different ways of working and engagement”.

The checklist also urges museums to have a plan for communicating changes and providing regular updates to staff and volunteers.

“Even when there is little to report, avoiding a news vacuum is helpful,” it says.

Museums should also manage change in their stakeholder relationships, according to the checklist.

“Do a map of your stakeholders,” it advises. “They will range from your visitors, Friends groups to collection donors, schools and colleges to sponsors and partners in the sector and wider community. Consider what communication is appropriate and useful through this time of change.”

The guidance urges museums to work with key partners and collate impact data to help towards advocacy. It says museums should be proactive with transition teams and start to build relationships with shadow councillors when they are elected, which will usually be a year before the new unitary authority in that area goes live.

“Keep talking, find out what is going on [and] ensure that museums are not forgotten in the conversations and planning,” says the checklist.

Museums must also ensure they understand and are up-to-date with the new authority's requirements around compliance, including GDPR and data sharing, safeguarding, and government indemnity.

Independent museums should also understand and quantify the support they current receive from their local authorities, says the checklist. It advises independents to ensure they have copies of any formal or legal agreements with their current council, and investigate whether they have any collection loans to or from that authority.

The checklist outlines a range of sources where museums can access further support, including the Local Government Association’s Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation Hub, as well as ACE and regional Museum Development teams.

The new unitary authorities are distinct from the government’s planned creation of Mayoral Strategic Authorities, which are also being rolled out as part of the devolution agenda. These strategic authorities will be formed by grouping unitary authorities and councils together in order to steer decision-making at regional level.

Which areas will be affected by local government reorganisation?

• Surrey

The county is undergoing a separate, fast-track reorganisation and held elections for two new unitary authorities in May, which will go live in April 2027.

 

• Greater Essex
• Norfolk and Suffolk
• Hampshire and the Solent

The footprints for unitary authorities in these areas have now been finalised. They are expected to hold elections in May 2027 and go live in April 2028.

 

Areas still under review include:

South East & South West

• East Sussex
• West Sussex
• Kent
• Devon
• Gloucestershire
• Oxfordshire

The Midlands

• Derbyshire
• Nottinghamshire
• Leicestershire
• Staffordshire
• Warwickshire
• Worcestershire
• Lincolnshire

East & North West

• Cambridgeshire
• Hertfordshire
• Lancashire