Councils told they cannot postpone elections

The councils wanted to postpone the May election by a year

The government has refused requests by two East Midlands councils to postpone upcoming local elections.

In January, Leicestershire County Council and Derbyshire County Council both asked for permission to delay voting, scheduled for May.

The authorities said they needed time to draw up detailed proposals in response to the government's plans to reorganise local government so every region of England has a mayor.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner confirmed on Wednesday that Leicestershire and Derbyshire were not among nine authorities which would be allowed to postpone elections for a year.

Leicestershire County Council's acting leader Deborah Taylor said she was disappointed

The two East Midlands councils have been urged to press ahead with proposals to draw up plans to redraw their political maps in a move which could see district and borough councils abolished and replaced with larger unitary councils.

Leicestershire County Council acting leader Deborah Taylor said: "While it is disappointing to have our request refused, we are still required to submit plans for change.

"This is the first step towards simplifying a confusing system, protecting front-line services and creating a system of local government fit for the 21st Century."

Barry Lewis said the government had been spooked

All seven districts and boroughs in Leicestershire said they welcomed the government's decision not to delay the elections.

In a joint statement, they went on to say a single unitary Leicestershire council would be "too remote, too cumbersome and inaccessible" and are working up alternative proposals.

The Conservative leader of Derbyshire County Council Barry Lewis told the BBC the process had been a "waste of time" given no areas which already had mayors, like the East Midlands, had been granted a postponement.

"It seems the government were spooked by the delayed elections issue and are running scared, " Mr Lewis said.

"However, our ambition remains undimmed."

"We will continue to advocate for a new whole county unitary authority excluding the city that respects the history of the county and delivers best value for Derbyshire residents."

Derbyshire Labour leader Joan Dixon praised the government's decision as "the better and more democratic option".

Rayner said the proposals for local government restructuring would be a "generational power shift from Whitehall to the town hall".

She said the move would unlock greater funding and more powers for the new-look councils.

Additional reporting by Dan Martin