PLANS to abolish Forest of Dean District Council have been put on hold after the Government unexpectedly paused its local government shake-up following new legal advice.

The Government announced on Monday, September 7 that its Local Government Reorganisation programme would be reviewed, placing plans for a single Gloucestershire unitary authority on hold.

In July, ministers confirmed that Gloucestershire County Council and the county’s six district, borough and city councils would be replaced by one authority from April 2028.

That would have meant the abolition of Forest of Dean District Council, with services currently divided between the district and county councils brought under the new Gloucestershire-wide body.

However, Communities Secretary Angela Rayner has now ordered a review of the programme after ministers received updated legal advice.

Gloucestershire is among 14 areas where decisions announced earlier this summer are being reviewed, while reorganisation decisions covering Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk have been withdrawn.

Ms Rayner told Parliament she wanted to ensure the process was robust, complied with the law and fitted the priorities of the new administration.

The Government said the review would also consider how reorganisation fits alongside its wider plans to devolve powers from Westminster.

Forest of Dean District Council described Monday’s announcement as unexpected and said Gloucestershire’s councils were seeking further information from the Government.

A joint statement issued through the Future Gloucestershire programme said council leaders and senior officers expected to be briefed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government within 24 hours.

It said: “At this stage, we do not have any further detail on the implications for Gloucestershire or on the timescales for completing the review.”

The Government has also confirmed that local elections scheduled for May 2027 will now take place using existing council boundaries while the review is carried out.

Previously, Gloucestershire had been preparing for elections to a new shadow unitary authority in 2027 ahead of the planned launch of the new council the following April.

The decision creates fresh uncertainty over the future of local government in the Forest after months of work on reorganisation.

Under the existing system, Forest of Dean District Council is responsible for services including planning, housing, licensing, benefits and waste collection, while Gloucestershire County Council oversees areas including highways, education and social care.

The Government had argued that replacing the two-tier structure with unitary councils would simplify local government, improve joined-up services and generate savings.

In July, ministers said a single Gloucestershire council offered a sensible geography for economic growth and housing while providing a platform for community empowerment.

Across England, however, the reorganisation programme has faced opposition and legal challenges from councils unhappy with proposed structures and boundaries.

The Government says it remains committed to simplifying local government despite the review.

The review does not affect Surrey, where two new unitary authorities are still due to begin operating in April 2027.

Further details on what the pause means for the Forest of Dean are expected after Gloucestershire’s councils receive further clarification from Government ministers.