In England, the Local Government Minister has thrown a substantial grenade towards a large number of Councils by announcing nine successful bids for Unitary status, and thereby sealing the fate of over 30 District Councils. The creation of new Unitary Authorities for Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire, Wiltshire, Ipswich and Exeter will delight many who see the two-tier system as confusing and wasteful. Rather more complicated plans to carve up Bedfordshire and Cheshire will irritate many who thought these areas already well administered. But in all these areas, whatever we think of the merits of the case – one thing is certain, they face a tremendous upheaval.

What are the implications for consultation and public engagement? There are four risks that can be easily identified:
1. Disillusioned elected members of Councils that will disappear will not feel motivated to deal with public concerns, and will just refer citizens and stakeholders to new bodies that have not yet been formally established.