The message from last week’s Local Government East / Infrastructure Matters Infrastructure & Investment Conference could not have been clearer: the region can — and is — moving now, and at pace.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR — the abolition of the two‑tier local government structure and replacement with larger unitary authorities) is underway, regardless of the timing of Mayoral elections.

Across the country, political attention is already turning to the most significant local government changes in a generation, with new authorities due to come into being from May 2027 onwards. 

As front‑runners, East and West Surrey are running their new unitary elections even earlier in May 2026, having already agreed authority boundaries with Government, driven in part by the scale of the county’s financial and governance challenges.

Likewise, while some local elections in two‑tier LGR areas were initially postponed to free up capacity to plan for this extensive restructuring, the Government’s U‑turn on this decision earlier this year means those elections will now also proceed as normal in May 2026.

So, it’s all go for local and LGR elections.

However, it’s easy to forget that while the immediate electoral noise grows ever louder, preparations for new Combined Authorities (CA) are continuing quietly and purposefully. Emerging CA chief executives are being clear that they do not need mayors in post to begin shaping strategy, organising governance, aligning partners or preparing investment pipelines.

In fact, the delay to Mayoral elections has created a useful two‑year window in which chief executives, local authority leaders and officer teams can do the institutional heavy lifting that will allow future mayors to hit the ground running.

Homes England partnerships, mayoral investment‑fund style arrangements and cross‑authority working are already accelerating. As Pam Cox. MP  for Colchester, put it: “We don’t need the new mayors to crack on with the numerous oven‑ready investment projects the region has to offer — as outlined in the East of England Investment Prospectus.”

That momentum is grounded in long‑term regional confidence and a proven economic track record, alongside a clear determination to keep moving forward.

At the conference, Cllr Graham Butland, Leader of Braintree District Council, noted: “As a region, we give far more to the country than we get back.”

Meanwhile, Jack Abbott, MP for Ipswich, robustly endorsed the region’s economic resilience, stating: “During the crash, we were the only region that kept growing — you back us, we will deliver.”

The opportunity now is to turn that confidence into structure. The East can use this pre‑mayoral period to build the strategic machinery that successful devolved regions already have, including:

• Long‑term frameworks and partnerships that outlast political churn
• Clear and consistent policy positions and narratives that hold steady through elections and leadership changes
• Securing essential funding to pump‑prime innovation and accelerate delivery against agreed strategies
• Community buy‑in that provides legitimacy and stability for large‑scale investment

These are the foundations that ensure continuity when political or governance structures shift — the very continuity investors rely on.

They are also areas where strong communications and engagement play a central, not peripheral, role: aligning messages across councils, securing public confidence and making the region’s offer clear and compelling.

With a new wave of £100m–£1bn projects set to feature in the forthcoming East of England Investment Prospectus, and the launch of ‘Invest East’ – the region’s new inward investment vehicle, both supported by Kanda – the East has a rare opportunity to build momentum before mayors arrive.

So the key takeaway?

The East of England does not need to wait for LGR to conclude, nor for devolution deals to be formalised through Mayors in post. The region already has the tools, the political mandate and the investment‑ready projects to progress now — and the development industry will be a critical partner in that journey.

Kanda would be delighted to discuss how we can support your projects and help ensure you are part of the East of England’s next phase of growth and success. Get in touch: Jo.Dancy@kandaconsulting.co.uk