Worcestershire County Council has asked ministers to postpone this year's elections, currently due to take place in May. In a letter to the minister for local government, Worcestershire's Conservative leader Simon Geraghty said the delay would give local leaders time to submit devolution proposals "at pace".

Politicians across Sussex plan to postpone local elections in May in favour of electing a mayor and replacing councils with unitary authorities. East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove councils met on Thursday and agreed on plans to create one strategic authority under a mayor.

The meeting, which took place on Thursday afternoon, discussed the plans and went in favour of the government's Devolution White Paper. The government announced in December it would would like to reorganise how local government works and do away with district and county councils in favour of unitary authorities,

Leicestershire County Council has asked the government to postpone the elections it is due to hold in May as part of plans for a major overhaul of local councils. The authority said delaying the vote would give it 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.

At least 12 out of 21 county councils due to hold elections in May are poised to ask ministers to delay the ballots to explore options set out in a major redesign of local government announced in December.