This 90-minute seminar is designed for local government legal officers tasked with navigating the complexities of the English devolution white paper – “Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth”. A practical session, it will focus on the key challenges arising from local government reorganisation and unitarisation. The session will provide a practical roadmap to understand the legal framework, manage transitional arrangements, and ensure compliance with statutory and governance requirements. Speakers will include Linda Jones, Chief Legal and Monitoring Officer at Westmorland and Furness Council.

Key Topics to Be Covered:

• English Devolution & Unitarisation – What do we know
• Understanding the Legal Framework
• Lessons from reorganisation
• Governance and Decision-Making
• Service Delivery and Shared Services
• Assets, Liabilities, and Financial Management
• Stakeholder Engagement and Consultation
• Risk Management and Legal Challenges

This session will be the first in a series of updates provided by Geldards to look at the issue arising from local government reorganisation. It will provide attendees with a broad understanding of the issues likely to arise and the practical steps in-house legal teams will need to prepare and deliver. Future sessions will consider specific areas in more detail and will be publicised in due course.