Chapter 2: Other Provision Local authority governance Section 71: Timings for changes in governance arrangements Background
The Government’s devolution framework in the Levelling Up White Paper sets out the powers available to institutions with different strengths of governance, which may be negotiated as part of a devolution deal. A local authority may wish to change its governance model in order to access deeper devolution (a local authority with a directly elected mayor could access a level 3 deal; a local authority with a leader and cabinet model can access level 2 deal).  However, if the council has changed its governance arrangements, either by local authority resolution or following a referendum, a moratorium may apply that prevents a further change of governance model for a specified period of time as set out in sections 9KC and 9M of the Local Government Act 2000 (the ‘2000 Act’). This provision establishes a process for a local authority to apply to the Secretary of State to change its governance model before the expiry of a moratorium and access deeper devolution in shorter timescales than would otherwise be possible.