A council has voted to ask the government to postpone the local elections in May and fast track the county for devolution. A government Devolution White Paper, published in December, outlined plans to scrap two-tier councils and replace them with strategic authorities - and an overseeing mayor.

If approved, countywide elections would be delayed until May 2026, potentially to elect councillors to a single, brand-new, unitary authority that would replace Worcestershire's seven existing councils.

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,

Green councillors have called for extraordinary full council meetings in East Sussex and Brighton and Hove to debate the devolution plans ahead of the special cabinet meetings decide the next step.