Essex faces major changes. New unitary councils will handle services like bins, roads, and housing instead of current councils.
These new councils control everything. They handle bins, road work, homelessness, and services for children. Essex will also get a mayor who runs a combined authority. All council services switch to new groups, although these groups don’t yet exist.
The 2025 council elections are now canceled. Essex County Council requested this, to help with the changes. No elections happen in May, and current council members stay longer, until 2028 without a vote.
The government says this helps changes go smoothly, avoiding elections during the transition. However, some council members stay past their elected term as unitary councils replace many smaller ones.
Right now, Essex County Council handles schools and roads, while district councils handle bins and housing. The new system changes things, and Southend and Thurrock also join in, merging to form larger groups.
Bin collections will likely change too. The new council picks up the trash, which used to be district councils’ job. The council might change collection days or how often they collect. Essex County Council handles waste disposal now, but unitary authorities will do that instead, planning to burn trash in a new plant.
The new authorities will also fix the roads. Essex County Council currently handles this, maintaining thousands of miles of roads, paths, and cycleways. Park and ride, which they run, will also change.
Essex has many libraries, run by the county. They have many branches and mobile libraries. When split, the five new unitaries will handle this system.
Housing is a big issue in Essex. District councils handle homelessness and build new homes, but the larger unitary authorities now take over. Chelmsford’s budget shows rising costs, as spending on homelessness is growing fast.
District councils also handle health matters, including air quality and food safety. Inspections happen at restaurants and safe workplaces matter. Many district councils run leisure centers, including pools and gyms.
Borough councils handle planning now, approving or denying building plans. They have public meetings, but sometimes, officers make the decisions.
Essex County Council helps with planning too, consulting on waste sites and schools. These tasks will move to the new councils, and some go to the new mayor.
Essex County Council runs education too, ensuring kids have school spots, funding schools, and helping feed kids. These jobs go to the unitary authorities, with some tasks moving to the combined authority.
Parking is partly managed by councils who oversee fines and manage lots. These duties will go to the new unitary councils. The new authority might take some powers in this field, too.
District councils license businesses now, whether approving or denying these plans. Those powers will be transferred to the unitary councils.
Essex councils plan a new single body, known as a strategic authority, potentially led by an elected mayor, likely by May 2026. This group will handle transport, skills, and economic growth. The mayor might also be the Police Commissioner.