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

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.

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.