A SIGNIFICANT shake-up of local government is being planned in England, aiming to streamline services by merging county councils and district councils into fewer, larger unitary authorities.

While Herefordshire Council is currently a unitary authority, it is vulnerable to pressure to merge with another county council due to its relatively small population being less than half that of its English neighbours.

The changes, part of a wider devolution agenda, are intended to transfer more decision-making power to local communities and improve service delivery.

One scenario is for Herefordshire to tie up with Shropshire as it is already involved in a joint local enterprise partnership with the authority.

However, another idea is the rekindling of a Three Counties a tie up between Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire because of its historic association.

Neighbouring Gloucestershire County Council is currently considering whether to back the Three Counties proposal under a single mayor or playing ‘second fiddle’ in a Bristol-centric in a West of England Combined Authority.

Tewkesbury MP Cameron Thomas believes Gloucestershire would be an equal partner if it were to join a Three Counties strategic authority.

Gloucestershire has a population of around 659,000 while there were more than 614,000 people living in Worcestershire as of 2023, while Herefordshire has a population of around 180,000.

Mr Thomas said: “It is my understanding that an application to join the well-established West of England Combined Authority is being considered by some in Gloucestershire. I would offer a word of caution.

“Gloucestershire must consider its future in the context of large population centres such as Bristol.

“Cities dominate their local authorities, and we must defend against our voice, and our ‘offer’ being lost against such overwhelming centres of gravity.

“To my mind, Gloucestershire would be better served by aligning with nearby counties of similar composition, such as Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

“Both are largely rural, both enjoy a significant agricultural base and the effects of flooding by the River Severn are experienced by both Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.

“Indeed, the opportunities to mitigate fluvial flooding exist, in both neighbouring counties.

“Gloucestershire and Herefordshire both proudly host some of the UK’s most prestigious, top-tier defence and security assets.

“Gloucestershire’s advanced manufacturing industry is a perfect partner for a combined resilience-based output and would make our county the largest economic contributor.

“Gloucestershire will only continue to attract world-leading aerospace manufacturers if we can deliver the workforce.

“Likewise, our burgeoning cyber tech industry will benefit, if we make this offer to Herefordshire and Worcestershire.”

Herefordshire and Worcestershire were previously merged as Hereford and Worcester from 1974 to 1998 before being re-divided into separate counties.

South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman has previously said: “I am instinctively very nervous about further top-down reorganisations of local government. But until we have more clarity as to the process to be followed, the powers to be allocated, the local authorities to be involved, no one is in a position to make any meaningful assessment of what is being proposed.”