FI15958

Request

  1. Did your council commission external consultants/advisers to work on and/or produce your local government reorganisation or joint council submission to the MHCLG for 21st March 2025?
  2. If so, who were the consultants/advisors, and how much did it cost up to and including 21st March 2025?
  3. Has your council allocated or estimated future expenditure to pay external consultants/advisers to work on your/joint council reorganisation proposals? If so, how much and over what timeframe?
  4. What is your projected expenditure to reorganise into a new local authority based on your submission or joint council submission to MHCLG?

Response

  1. No.
  2. Not applicable.
  3. Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, I can confirm that, following a search of our paper and electronic records, we have established that this information is not held.  Under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act we have a duty to advise and assist. I can advise that the government has allocated funding to cover the costs of preparing the business case for local government reorganisation, and it is our expectation that this funding will cover the cost of the work.
  4. Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act, I can confirm that, following a search of our paper and electronic records, we have established that this information is not held.  Under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act we have a duty to advise and assist. Information regarding costs will be published after the full proposal has been submitted to the Government in November 2025. This will be published online here: https://www.dover.gov.uk/Welcome/Devolution-Local-Government-Reorganisation.aspx.