Written question asked by James Cleverly (Conservative) on Monday, 22 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 24 June 2026. It was answered by Alison McGovern (Labour) on Tuesday, 30 June 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Local Government: Reorganisation
- Question
-
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in what circumstances new unitary councils will be able to apply for borough status once they are in (a) shadow and (b) vested form where predecessor councils were boroughs; and what criteria will be used to determine whether borough status will be renewed for new unitaries.
- Answer
-
Where local government reorganisation takes place, we work with councils to ensure appropriate arrangements, such as Charter Trustees, are established to preserve ceremonial rights, including city or borough status already granted to predecessor councils, to ensure these important matters of civic identity are maintained.
If new unitary councils wish to apply for borough status, then they may seek the grant of this in the usual way by Royal Charter.
Shadow councils do not, in the ordinary course, have power to petition for borough status before vesting day. The usual process is that petitions are made once a new unitary council is formally established, following a resolution passed by not less than two thirds of members. Any decision to grant new borough status is a matter for His Majesty the King, acting on the advice of the Privy Council.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 11665
- Session
- 2026-27
- Related items
- Subjects
- Local government Reorganisation
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
Show all related items (5)
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2026-10-29 12:02:49 +0000
- URI
- http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2026-27/11665
- In Indexing
- http://indexing.parliament.uk/Content/Edit/1?uri=http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2026-27/11665
- In Solr
- https://search.parliament.uk/claw/solr/?id=http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2026-27/11665