Town hall leaders condemn ‘ill-thought-out’ plan to merge English councils

Survey reveals senior officials think changes will do little to address local authorities' dire financial crisis

Ministers' plans to shake up the structure of English local government by merging councils are ill-thought-out", insane" and a bizarre diversion" that will fail to deliver savings, according to a survey of town hall leaders.

The depth of unhappiness with the plans is revealed in an annual poll of senior councillors and executives, most of whom said the changes would be costly, time-consuming and do little to address the dire financial crisis facing councils.