Beyond May’s local elections: why delivery through change is the real test for councils

Local government is operating through a period of political change, while still being expected to deliver the buildings, infrastructure and regeneration projects communities depend on. With local elections approaching, attention is focused on political control and governance. For the built environment, the more immediate concern is what this moment of political change means for delivery – particularly how councils maintain momentum as priorities, policies and decision-makers shift after the elections.

This issue sits at the heart of SCAPE’s Delivering Through Change report, developed with the Local Government Information Unit. Based on insight from 70 senior local authority officers, directors and heads of service from 63 councils across England, the research shows where delivery pressure is felt most acutely, how change is affecting progress, and what helps councils keep projects moving.

The findings point to a familiar problem: delivery risks emerge well before construction begins. Councils identify early‑stage scoping, business case development, commercial planning and procurement as the points where projects are most likely to stall. More than four in five report that when constraints arise, schemes struggle to progress beyond these stages. Cost inflation and market volatility remain significant issues, but uncertainty over funding and approvals – often heightened by post-election change – is what often pushes projects off track.

This matters because the projects most exposed to disruption are those with the greatest long‑term impact. Regeneration and housing programmes, central to national growth ambitions, are especially vulnerable to rising costs and timetable slippage. These projects are complex, capital‑intensive and highly sensitive to early decisions. When those decisions are delayed or revisited, delivery risk increases across project lifecycles.

Alongside the immediate changes likely to result from local elections, many councils are also facing a broader period of post-election change. For some, this includes the prospect of local government reorganisation. Our research shows this challenge is often about how change is managed rather than reorganisation itself. Around a third of senior officers identified reorganisation as a short‑term constraint on delivery, while far fewer see devolution as problematic.

In practice, preparation for devolution is already encouraging different behaviours from local councils around delivery, including earlier collaboration between councils, clearer prioritisation and better alignment around future pipelines, to ensure that projects get over the line and to minimise funding constraints. These experiences suggest that change, when handled well, can strengthen delivery.

Where periods of change require the most attention is at the early stages of project development. Business case preparation and procurement routes are most exposed as governance arrangements, political leadership and priorities shift. The report points to continuity as a practical solution: maintaining established pipelines and routes to market so projects already in development are not paused, reset or lost as structures change.

Councils are direct about what would make the greatest difference. Nearly all senior officers point to the need for greater funding certainty and longer‑term settlements. Stronger early‑stage capability is just as important, particularly in commercial expertise, business case development and procurement strategy. Where these foundations are in place, projects are far less vulnerable later on.

The research also highlights the role of long‑term, trusted delivery models. Councils repeatedly identify frameworks and established partnerships as effective ways to maintain continuity beyond individual projects and electoral cycles. These models support earlier engagement, skills transfer and clearer routes to market, reducing friction as teams and governance structures evolve.

This reflects what SCAPE sees in practice. Stable procurement routes and strong early‑stage support give councils the confidence to continue delivering through periods of political and organisational change. Change does not have to slow progress; managed effectively, it can support clearer pipelines, better coordination and more strategic outcomes.

With local elections on the horizon, the question for the sector is no longer whether change is coming, but how delivery is protected through it. Councils are clear about what will help them succeed: funding certainty, strong early‑stage capability and delivery models that provide continuity. Used well, this moment can strengthen delivery rather than disrupt it – maintaining momentum through the elections and beyond.