MALDON councillors have been urged to begin talks with colleagues in three neighbouring areas amid expectations that Maldon District Council will be abolished.

It is anticipated that Maldon could team up with Chelmsford, Braintree and Colchester to form a new unitary authority in the huge national restructure – potentially with a single new mayor.

The Government is expected to bring out a white paper in the autumn proposing the abolition of all district, county, city and borough councils as part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Minister for Local Government and Recover, Simon Clarke, has confirmed that he will be presenting the white paper to Parliament in the early autumn.

At a full council meeting yesterday (Thursday, 6 August), council leader, Councillor Adrian Fluker, said: "Very little formal detail has been released by the MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), but Mr Clarke has stated that the new unitary councils must be formed within county boundaries and their populations should be between 350,000 and 600,000 residents. Around 1.8 million people live in Essex, so in theory there could be three, four or five unitary councils in the county, but until we have some clarity from the MHCLG regarding the actual population numbers we will not know for sure.

He emphasised that Maldon District needs to start talks with the MHCLG and other local authorities soon – as councillors in many other areas of Essex are already on the case.

He told the virtual meeting: "I understand that Southend, Thurrock, Basildon, Brentwood, Rochford and Castle Point are already in talks - likewise Uttlesford, Harlow and Epping. Maldon District Council shares common boarders with Chelmsford, Braintree and Colchester.

"Timelines have not been released but the minister has indicated that he expects everything in place prior to the 2023 local elections. It will be up to council to decide which way it wishes to proceed and that said, I would suggest that formal talks are entered into, as quickly as possible with our neighbours following the Statutory Annual meeting."

Maldon Council's Annual Statutory Meeting

Councillors yesterday voted to delay their crucial annual statutory meeting by eight weeks after a series of volatile exchanges.