Request
I am seeking information about the evidence base and transition work being developed in connection with Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
I am not requesting a full contract register, detailed technical asset register or information which would require the creation of new analysis. Where information is already published, please provide the relevant link.
1. ECONOMIC BASELINE
Has the authority produced, commissioned or begun preparing a combined economic baseline for the proposed/reorganised authority area?
If yes, please provide the document, or if already published, its title and URL.
Please indicate whether it covers any of the following:
- business population
- employment
- productivity
- key sectors
- deprivation
- economic performance
2. GROWTH HOTSPOTS, COLD SPOTS & PRIORITY PLACES
Has the authority identified any geographic areas within the proposed/reorganised authority as:
- economic or business-growth hotspots
- areas of economic weakness or deprivation
- regeneration priorities
- town-centre priorities
- strategic employment locations
- business parks
- innovation districts
- other priority economic locations?
If yes, please provide the names of the areas and any report, map or dataset used to define them.
3. BUSINESS & SECTOR INTELLIGENCE
Has the authority mapped or analysed businesses across the proposed/reorganised authority by:
- location
- sector
- business size
- growth potential
- other economic characteristics?
If yes, please state:
a) what datasets, software or external data products are being used;
b) whether a combined dataset covering predecessor authorities has been created.
4. LOCAL PROCUREMENT & ECONOMIC IMPACT
As part of LGR planning, has the authority established or begun establishing a combined baseline covering any of the following:
- total supplier spend
- local supplier spend
- SME spend
- VCSE spend
- supplier location?
If yes, please provide the latest available headline figures or the relevant report.
Please also state whether the authority intends to measure changes in local economic impact or 'local pound' performance after reorganisation.
5. SUPPLIER, CONTRACT & COMMERCIAL TRANSITION
Has the authority created or begun creating a consolidated view of suppliers and contracts across predecessor councils?
Please state whether work has identified any of the following:
- duplicate suppliers or contracts
- contracts requiring novation
- contracts identified for consolidation
- contracts identified for re-tender or termination
- material contract expiries around transition
- critical supplier dependencies
Headline counts or summaries are sufficient. A full contract register is not requested.
6. DATA CONSOLIDATION & IDENTIFIED PAIN POINTS
Has the LGR programme formally identified any difficulty combining, matching or reconciling information held by predecessor authorities relating to:
- businesses
- suppliers
- procurement
- contracts
- property
- finance
- economic development?
If yes, please provide any recorded summary of the issues, risks or work required.
7. SYSTEMS & INTELLIGENCE TOOLS
Has the authority inventoried the principal systems or data platforms used across predecessor councils for:
- procurement
- supplier management
- contract management
- finance
- business intelligence
- economic development
- place intelligence?
If yes, please provide:
a) the number of separate systems/platforms identified;
b) any documented target approach for consolidation.
A detailed technical asset register is not requested.
8. EXTERNAL SUPPORT & BUDGET SIGNALS
Has the authority commissioned, or does it currently intend to commission, external support relating to LGR for any of the following:
- economic analysis
- business intelligence
- supplier/spend analysis
- data matching or cleansing
- mapping
- contract rationalisation
- commercial transition
- economic-impact analysis?
For any commissioned work, please provide where held:
a) supplier name;
b) brief scope of work;
c) contract value;
d) contract dates.
9. OWNERSHIP, PROGRAMME STATUS & TIMETABLE
Please identify the team/function or job title responsible for the LGR economic/commercial evidence base described above.
Where recorded, please also state whether the work is:
- not started
- in discovery
- in data collection
- in analysis
- in implementation
and the expected completion date or next key milestone.
10. GOVERNANCE, INFORMATION & ORGANISATIONAL TRANSITION
Has the authority identified or established any specific LGR workstreams relating to:
- information governance
- data protection
- data migration or integration
- records management
- data governance?
If yes, please provide:
a) the name/title of the workstream;
b) the responsible team or job title;
c) whether external support has been commissioned or is planned;
d) any published programme documentation or procurement relating to this work.
Response
- ECONOMIC BASELINE
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. This is because we have not produced or commissioned an economic baseline. The Government has paused LGR work specifically related to the geographies described in the 16 July 2026 Ministerial decision.
- GROWTH HOTSPOTS, COLD SPOTS & PRIORITY PLACES
No.
- BUSINESS & SECTOR INTELLIGENCE
The KMEP (Kent and Medway Economic Partnership) are progressing a new Local Growth Plan for Kent and Medway; the evidence base can be accessed here: KMEP Local Growth Plan Evidence Base. KMEP also published the Kent and Medway Economic Framework in 2024, which can be accessed here: Kent and Medway Economic Framework.
- LOCAL PROCUREMENT & ECONOMIC IMPACT
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. This is because no work has been completed on this.
- SUPPLIER, CONTRACT & COMMERCIAL TRANSITION
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. This is because no work has been completed on this.
- DATA CONSOLIDATION & IDENTIFIED PAIN POINTS
No.
- SYSTEMS & INTELLIGENCE TOOLS
No.
- EXTERNAL SUPPORT & BUDGET SIGNALS
No.
- OWNERSHIP, PROGRAMME STATUS & TIMETABLE
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. This is because we cannot progress the geography-based work following the Government pause in LGR.
- GOVERNANCE, INFORMATION & ORGANISATIONAL TRANSITION
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. This is because no specific LGR workstreams have been identified or established.