The Government has now launched its public consultation on proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)across Greater Essex. This represents a significant opportunity for organisations, community groups, businesses, and residents to help shape what the future of local government could look like in our county.
Announced on 19 November 2025, the consultation covers all four unitary proposals submitted by councils across Essex, Southend-on-Sea, and Thurrock. It will run until 11 January 2026, giving organisations across the voluntary and community sector vital time to feed back their views.
These proposals aim to simplify how local councils work, strengthen local decision-making, and improve the way services are delivered. This includes ensuring councils reflect local identity, operate efficiently, and deliver high-quality public services.
This is a unique opportunity for the VCS to influence decisions that will affect communities for years to come.
Why this matters to Essex Alliance members
Local Government Reorganisation has the potential to reshape:
how services are delivered
how local priorities are set
how communities engage with decision-making
the future structure and scale of local authorities across Greater Essex
Your insight—as organisations working closely with communities—is key to ensuring these proposals reflect local needs.
All the councils in Essex are working together to propose changes to how they are run. Each council – whether district, borough, city or county councils – might have their own ideas to share with the government.
These proposals are based on:
making sure decision making is as close to communities as possible
delivering value for money and efficient local services
what’s good for local businesses and voluntary sector organisations
Some ideas will be the same, but some will be different.
You can read the four proposals that councils in Greater Essex have sent to government HERE.
Essex County Council is conducting important research into youth vaping and is seeking views from parents and carers of children aged 9–14 in Essex.
Your insight will help shape future support and a new county-wide campaign to help families have non-judgemental conversations about the risks of vaping for young people.
The survey is anonymous, takes 10 minutes, and is open to all parents and carers—whether or not your child vapes.
Your feedback will directly support future work to protect the health and wellbeing of young people in Essex.
This survey aims to understand your attitudes to youth vaping, talking about it with your child, and what resources might be helpful to support this.
The findings will be summarised in a report which will be used by Essex County Council to inform services and materials to support parents, schools and young people around vaping. The report will be kept indefinitely and may be shared in the public domain on the Essex Open Data Platform (Essex Youth Vaping | Essex Open Data). Insight may be taken from the report and used for other relevant projects and shared with other partners.
Essex County Council is developing a new All-Age Carers Strategy — and we want to hear from you.
As part of our commitment to supporting carers of all ages, this strategy will set out a shared vision and priorities for how carers are supported now and in the future. To make sure it truly reflects the real experiences and needs of carers, we’re inviting unpaid carers to share their views through a public consultation.
A carer is anyone who provides unpaid help, care, or support to a relative, friend, or neighbour who couldn’t manage everyday life without them. We know that caring can be deeply rewarding but also brings challenges — and your insight is vital to shaping how we move forward.
By taking part in the short online survey, carers can help us:
Shape services that reflect carers’ real needs
Improve support for carers across all ages
Raise awareness of the vital role carers play
Influence decisions on policy and funding
Ensure carers’ voices are heard
The consultation is open until 4th November, and every response will help build a more supportive and inclusive system for carers in Essex.
We’d be very grateful if you could share this consultation link across your networks — with staff, community groups, and carers you work with — as well as through newsletters, websites, and social media. The more carers we hear from, the more meaningful and representative the strategy will be.
Together, we can make sure carers’ experiences shape a better future for all.
Following the 2024-25 Healthier Habits Hubs that took place across the County, Essex County Council (ECC) have changed the structure based on feedback from both residents and providers.
From 3rd November 2025, this is your opportunity to get creative.
Do you have an idea for a project? Does your hub have the creativity to run a successful health related project?
If your hub has what it takes, now is your chance. Applications open from 3rd November 2025 for hubs to apply for up to £2,500 (£5,000 if partnering with another) to run a project that aligns to one or more of the outcomes in our Essex County Council Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities Business Plan 2025-2028 (Wellbeing, public health and communities business plan):
Healthy Weight
Smokefree 2030
Children and Young People
Housing and Health
Physical Activity
Inclusive Growth, work and health
NHS 10 Year plan
Healthy Communities
Vulnerable groups
ECC recognise the importance of communities being able to organise events of health importance as well as events that promote community cohesion and integration. Therefore, funding has been made available for communities in Essex to lead and organise events. These can be Health promotion, events that raise awareness of issues that affect the community and or events that bring communities together for collective reflection.
The Healthier Habits Fund will offer financial support to organisations to help deliver new events/projects in the County of Essex.
The fund can be used to book a space or pay for other associated event costs. For each event, a maximum of £2,500 will be made available, or for collaboration between organisations, grants of up to £5,000 will be made available.
ECC are keen to develop an interesting and successful year-round events calendar and would like to encourage new community leaders and groups to come forward. As part of this ambition, we are keen to see new events that will complement existing offers.
Applicants must agree that if my application is successful the money received will be used ONLY towards the project set out in this application and that I will supply evidence as required to the HHH project team in the form of photos and/or feedback from users of the project to demonstrate our impact and appropriate use of ECC funds.
Who can apply?
Registered charities and CICs with sound governance and accountability structures
Individuals affiliated to a registered group that supports Essex can apply where no other registered charity of CIC can be found
Profit companies, constituted groups or religious organisations
How to apply.
Applications for the Healthier Habits Hubs fund 2025/26 will open on Monday 3rd November 2025 and close on Sunday 30th November 2025.
*Please be aware we reserve the right to close the application form early on the basis the funds have been allocated to projects on a first come first served basis ahead of the closing date*
Your application will be reviewed by the Healthier Habits Hubs projects team within 1 week (7 working days) of receiving your application and a response will be sent to you within 14 days of receiving your application.
Essex County Council has published its Proposal for Greater Essex, setting out a bold and evidence-based vision for the future of local government in our county.
This proposal represents the most significant change to local government in Essex in over 50 years. It outlines the creation of three new, all-purpose unitary councils, covering North, Mid, and South Essex – bringing decision-making closer to residents and ensuring services are joined-up and efficient.
Councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council, said:
“Our proposal is about creating a better future for the people we serve. By bringing services under three new councils, we can deliver better outcomes, simplify governance, and make the most of every pound we spend. This is about unlocking the potential of Essex and ensuring our communities have the local government they deserve.”
The proposal will be considered at Essex County Council’s Cabinet and Full Council meetings on 18 September before being submitted to Government on 26 September. The Government will then decide which proposal(s) will go forward to public consultation later this autumn.
While there are alternative proposals from other councils, what unites all of Greater Essex is the shared ambition to create a local government system that works better for residents, businesses, and communities.
Are you a young mum or birthing person in Essex under the age of 25—or do you work with someone who is? We want to hear from you.
We’re running a short, anonymous survey to better understand the needs, experiences, and challenges faced by young mums and birthing people aged 16–25. The feedback gathered will help shape future peer support services, making sure they are relevant, meaningful, and designed around what matters most to you.
It only takes a couple of minutes to complete, and every response will make a real difference.
Why it matters
Becoming a parent at a young age can be both exciting and challenging. By sharing your experiences, you’ll help ensure that services in Essex provide the right kind of support, at the right time.
How you can help
If you work with or know young mums and birthing people in Essex, we’d be so grateful if you could share the survey link—or the flyer—through your networks, during appointments, or on social media.
Together, we can make sure young parents across Essex feel supported and understood.
As part of Carers Week, Essex County Council are working with carers organisations to host webinars to highlight the importance of carer identification and early support offers available to carers. Your team may play a vital role in this. These webinars are aimed at all front-line practitioners and services working across Essex.
Support for young carers: Monday 9th June 10:00 – 10:30am
Young carers often balance their school and social lives with their caring duties and that can have a huge impact. The Essex Young Carers Service work with partner organisations to provide support to young carers in Essex to navigate school, work and life. This webinar by the Youth Service will cover the support available to young carers and where you as a professional can signpost/refer young carers.Support for adult carers: Tuesday 10th June 10:00 – 10:30am
The physical and mental health of carers can be significantly impacted by the demands of their caring role, with many experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness, often leading to burnout and a decline in their overall well-being. This webinar by Action for Family Carers, Carers First, Essex Wellbeing Service and Adult Social Care Connects will give an overview of some of the organisations supporting carers across Essex so that you can be more confident in identifying carers and then signposting/referring to specialist support available.
Supporting carers of people with dementia: Wednesday 11th June 10:00-10:30am
Supporting dementia carers is crucial because they often experience significant stress, isolation, and emotional strain. When carers are well-supported, they can provide better care, feel better in themselves, and are more likely to continue caring. This webinar by Alzheimer’s Society will raise awareness of some of the challenges carers supporting people with dementia experience, along with examples of some of the key places you can refer/signpost carers too for support.
Advocacy support for carers: Thursday 12th June 11:30am – 12:00pm
Carers may not know what help to ask for, how to ask, or indeed who to ask. Services are available to support carers to understand their options, make informed choices and decisions about their caring role and be heard when they face a challenge or issue. This webinar by Voiceability will raise awareness of some of the challenges carers experience with themselves and/or those they care for not having their views heard, and provide information on how to access for carers you support who might need this service.
Employers support for carers: Friday 13th June 1 – 2pm
Supporting carers to continue providing care and to participate in everyday life through employment is in everyone’s best interest. Employers have a responsibility to develop an inclusive workplace where carers are enabled to work, recognised, respected and supported, which helps to retain valued members of staff. This webinar by Employers for Carers will cover things employers should consider to support carers in the workforce, including tools and resource templates available.
On 21 March, all 15 councils across Greater Essex, together with the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC), submitted an interim proposal for Local Government Reorganisation to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
The proposal represents a collaborative effort across Greater Essex to explore the potential for creating new unitary council structures. These changes aim to improve the efficiency, accountability, and delivery of public services across the region.
Working together with colleagues across the county, ECC are carefully considering the response and will incorporate this input as they refine their plans. Detailed proposals will be submitted to the MHCLG by the end of September.
We remain committed to keeping residents and stakeholders informed throughout this process. For ongoing updates on Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution in Greater Essex, please visit this page.
Fraud is on the rise in Essex — with a 6.1% increase in offences over the past year, totalling 9,604 incidentsand a staggering £68.5 millionin losses.
Despite the scale of the issue, many residents still feel unsure or anxious about reporting fraud. In fact, Essex Police estimate that many people experience fraud at least once a month, yet most cases go unreported.
To help tackle this, the Multi-Agency Approach to Fraud (MAAF)has launched a new anonymous surveyto understand public awareness and experiences of fraud and scams — whether or not you’ve been a victim. The goal is to better focus resources, improve prevention strategies, and ultimately reduce fraud across Southend, Essex, and Thurrock.
MAAFbrings together key organisations including:
Essex County Council
Essex Police
Essex Trading Standards
Victim Support
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
We’re asking all Alliance members and partners to support this important initiative by sharing the survey widely — through your communications channels, networks, and with your communities. Every response counts.
Councillor Mark Durham, who oversees Essex Trading Standards, said:
“Fraudsters are always looking at new ways to scam people to a point where it’s not always immediately clear when you’ve been a victim. This can make fraud a difficult crime to combat and means we have to constantly evolve our tactics. However, if enough people come forward and engage with our anonymous survey, we can get a better understanding of the issues faced and start stamping out what has become a rampant issue across the UK.”
If you’ve been affected by fraud or want to learn more, visitEssex Police.
