How to Build a Stronger Connection on Local Government Reform

Local Government Reorganisation isn’t just about structures, savings, or service integration. At its core, it’s about people and how they feel about the place they live, who represents them, and how change might affect their everyday lives. That’s why strong, honest, and inclusive community engagement should be the heartbeat of any reorganisation proposals.

But let’s be clear: engaging the public on local government reorganisation is no easy task. It’s complex, political, and sometimes emotionally charged. So how can councils bring residents and stakeholders with them on the journey?

Here are six key areas every council should consider:

1. Narrative and Storytelling
   Reorganisation is a complex topic. The governance structures, cost savings, and accountability models that make sense to officers or councillors can feel abstract—or downright baffling—to the average resident. That’s why narrative matters.
   
   You need a story that’s not just clear but relatable. What does this reorganisation mean for someone dropping their child off at school? For a pensioner who relies on their local library? For a working parent chasing up a missed bin?
   
   Your narrative should speak to everyday life, not internal systems. Strip away the jargon and connect the big picture to local hopes, frustrations, and aspirations.
   
   Anchor your message using storytelling techniques that connect to people’s priorities: safer streets, accessible services, pride in place, and value for money.
   
   And don’t guess-test your narrative. Run it past community panels, frontline staff, and stakeholder groups or, if you’re ahead of the AI curve, test it with your synthetic population via Electric Twin. Ask: What makes sense? What feels distant? What raises red flags? Refining your message isn’t a weakness; it’s a sign that you’re building trust, not just broadcasting change.
   
   
2. Stakeholder and Community Engagement: Go Beyond the ‘Usual Suspects’
   Start early and map widely. Who has a stake in this reform? Yes, local politicians, business leaders, and public sector partners—but also schools, voluntary groups, town and parish councils, neighbourhood champions, and residents who often feel unheard.
   
   Two-way engagement is critical. This isn’t just a broadcast exercise—it’s a listening one. Be transparent about the challenges and create space for honest feedback.
   
   These days, stakeholder engagement must reach beyond traditional boundaries. That means engaging with informal networks: Facebook groups, WhatsApp communities, and local influencers who shape opinion in their own spaces.
   
   
3. A Digital Landing Page: Your Engagement HQ
   Think of your digital landing page as the ‘front door’ of your reorganisation conversation. It should be simple, visually engaging, and designed for everyday people.
   
   Include clear FAQs, a timeline of the journey so far, and easy ways for people to respond or sign up for updates. On digital channels, use video and graphics to tell the story. This is your anchor in a fast-moving conversation, so keep it updated and make it easy to share.
   
   
4. Media and Narrative Guardianship
   Traditional and local media still matter, especially for reaching older residents or those less active online. Build relationships with local and regional journalists. Brief them regularly and provide shareable assets and spokespeople who can speak in human terms, not policy.
   
   Don’t forget owned media—your council newsletter, social channels, and local community radio. These are powerful tools for reinforcing your narrative and correcting misinformation before it spreads.
   
   
5. The power of advocacy
   At the heart of local government reorganisation is the need to build awareness and support across communities about what the future looks like—and the benefits it brings to everyday lives.
   
   Move beyond a top-down, broadcast approach. Use trusted local voices to speak about the importance of local government—what needs protecting, and what needs to evolve. Empowering the community to tell the story amplifies and broadens the conversation.
   
   
6. Gather evidence and present it compellingly
   Make sure you can capture and demonstrate public feedback. This should go beyond polling and a few focus groups. Build a robust approach that includes capturing conversations, transcribing, coding, and reporting on themes and levels of support.
   
   How will you codeframe hundreds or thousands of conversations or open-ended responses and turn them into a convincing report? This takes skills and experience that might not be readily available in-house.
   
   

One final thought…

Reorganisation can easily feel like something done to communities. But with the right engagement strategy, rooted in trust, message testing, and relatable storytelling, we can design change with communities.

That’s not just good communication and engagement. It’s good local leadership.

For more than 20 years, Westco has helped local authorities build stronger connections with their communities through end-to-end communication, engagement, and research services. If you’d like to chat about how we can help, drop me a line at simon@westcocommunications.com

Author: 

Simon Jones is the Director of Communications for Westco. He is a former Chair of LGcomms and worked as Director of Communications for the London Boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham and Haringey for over ten years.