Lancashire County Council is checking whether it can still seek judicial review of a plan to replace 15 local authorities with four by 2028.
Lancashire County Council may take legal action over ministers' plan to scrap the county's 15 local authorities and replace them with four new councils in 2028, BBC News reported on Sunday.
The government said last month that the transition timetable was paused while it checked whether its processes had been lawful. The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the county council had already asked for the evidence behind the decision so it could decide whether to seek judicial review.
Councils that want to contest the basis of the decision have until 16 October to file a claim. A cabinet meeting last week heard that officers were trying to establish whether that deadline still runs after the pause.
Council leader Stephen Atkinson said the authority had tried to engage constructively, including direct talks with the secretary of state and the minister, but that the legal timetable was forcing a decision. Until the delay, the new councils had been due to take over on 1 April 2028.
BBC did not report that a claim had been filed. The immediate question is whether the 16 October window is still open.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Atkinson said the council tried to build trust with ministers but the legal clock is driving the next step.