A £120,000 job created to oversee local government reorganisation in Gloucestershire has been blasted as a “reckless waste of public money”.

The government wants to see county and district authorities merged into unitary councils across England.

They believe this will lead to stronger authorities and the savings could be reinvested in public services.

In Gloucestershire, all seven principal councils have been working together on plans for how this could be implemented.

And they believe there is a need for a specific director to oversee the “monumental” task.

The local government reorganisation portfolio director would work on behalf of all councils in the county but be employed by Gloucestershire County Council.

And the fixed-term hybrid job would be until June 2028 and the salary being offered ranges from £109,000 to £120,000 and would involve travel across the county.

They want an “exceptional and influential leader” to oversee the transition of all seven councils into one or two new authorities and shape the vision, governance and delivery frameworks that will “define Gloucestershire’s future local government landscape”.

The role would involve working closely with councillors, chief executive and national partners to ensure effective, timely and well-governed delivery of the transformation.

However, the post has been criticised by opposition groups who believe the whole process is a waste of money and an erosion of local democracy.

Reform UK Councillor Vernon Smith (Tewkesbury West), who leads the group at Shire Hall, said: “Appointing an LGR Portfolio Director now is not only premature—it’s a reckless waste of public money.

“We won’t even know central government’s decision on reorganisation until next summer, so why create a costly new post before the future is clear?

“The current team has managed the process so far; why can’t they continue until we have certainty?

“Reform UK stands for common sense and accountability, and this proposal delivers neither.”

And a Green Party spokesperson said it was a waste of money.

“This is just another example of local government money being wasted on a process that we believe is not needed and is distinctly undemocratic, being forced upon local councils by central government,” they said.

The county council’s Liberal Democrat leader Lisa Spivey (LD, South Cerney) said all seven councils are co-funding local government reorganisation in Gloucestershire and a specific role to oversee the process is needed

“We recognise there are nine workstreams over 100 service areas,” she said.

“This is a monumental piece of work. Given the workload our officers already have, it is not something you can pick up on the side.

“The learning we’ve had from other areas like Essex has already got 140 people that they are employing just on local government reorganisation.”

The total cost of local government reorganisation is unknown but consultants estimate the single unitary option would cost the taxpayer £18.7m initially but they expect the changes would create cumulative savings of over £200m after ten years.

The Forest Council has officially opposed all three options for change.