Norfolk County Council has asked the government to postpone its local elections this year, in the first step towards a major shake-up of local authorities. Councillors voted in favour of working with Westminster on a plan which would see the smaller councils scrapped and a mayor overseeing Norfolk and Suffolk.

West Norfolk Council’s leader is “deeply concerned” that county elections could be postponed as part of plans to secure a new devolution deal.

A council has voted to ask the government to postpone the local elections in May and fast track the county for devolution. A government Devolution White Paper, published in December, outlined plans to scrap two-tier councils and replace them with strategic authorities - and an overseeing mayor.

Politicians across Sussex plan to postpone local elections in May in favour of electing a mayor and replacing councils with unitary authorities. East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove councils met on Thursday and agreed on plans to create one strategic authority under a mayor.

That call has been amplified with the Surrey Liberal Democrat MPs writing to Government lending their support to the call – while a petition arguing the same has been signed by more than 3,000 people.

If approved, countywide elections would be delayed until May 2026, potentially to elect councillors to a single, brand-new, unitary authority that would replace Worcestershire's seven existing councils.

The leader of Warwickshire County Council is pressing ahead with plans to delay this year’s local elections despite being accused of a “powergrab”.

Kent County Council has voted to press on with sweeping local government reforms which will include a directly elected mayor