North East Essex

In February 2025, Essex was accepted into the Devolution Priority Programme. Tied to this, councils were invited to submit proposals for the reorganisation of local government districts by September 2025. The government held statutory consultations from November 2025 to January 2026 and made a decision in March 2026. In North East Essex, it was decided to create a new unitary authority district by combining Braintree, Colchester and Tendring. ==Geography==

The largest settlement in the district will be Colchester. The Office for National Statistics mid-2023 population estimate of the district is 510,162. Parishes and settlements There are unparished areas in Braintree and Bocking, Colchester and Clacton but there are plans to form 3 parishes in Clacton unparished area. The remainder is covered by 116 civil parishes: • Abberton, Aldham, Alphamstone, Alresford, Ardleigh, Ashen • Beaumont-cum-Moze, Belchamp Otten, Belchamp St Paul, Belchamp Walter, Birch, Birdbrook, Black Notley, Borley, Boxted, Bradfield, Bradwell, Brightlingsea, Bulmer, Bures Hamlet • Castle Hedingham, Chappel, Coggeshall, Colne Engaine, Copford, Cressing • Dedham • Earls Colne, East Donyland, East Mersea, Eight Ash Green, Elmstead • Fairstead, Faulkbourne, Feering, Finchingfield, Fingringhoe, Fordham, Foxearth, Frating, Frinton and Walton • Gestingthorpe, Gosfield, Great and Little Wigborough, Great Bardfield, Great Bentley, Great Bromley, Great Henny, Great Horkesley, Great Maplestead, Great Notley, Great Oakley, Great Tey, Great Yeldham, Greenstead Green and Halstead Rural • Halstead, Harwich, Hatfield Peverel, Helions Bumpstead • Kelvedon • Lamarsh, Langenhoe, Langham, Lawford, Layer Breton, Layer Marney, Layer-de-la-Haye, Liston, Little Bentley, Little Bromley, Little Clacton, Little Henny, Little Horkesley, Little Maplestead, Little Oakley, Little Yeldham • Manningtree, Marks Tey, Messing-cum-Inworth, Middleton, Mistley, Mount Bures, Myland • Ovington • Panfield, Pebmarsh, Peldon, Pentlow • Ramsey and Parkeston, Rayne, Ridgewell, Rivenhall • Salcott, Shalford, Sible Hedingham, Silver End, St Osyth, Stambourne, Stanway, Steeple Bumpstead, Stisted, Sturmer • Tendring, Terling, The Salings, Thorpe-le-Soken, Thorrington, Tilbury Juxta Clare, Tiptree, Toppesfield, Twinstead • Virley • Wakes Colne, Weeley, West Bergholt, West Mersea, Wethersfield, White Colne, White Notley, Wickham St. Paul, Witham, Wivenhoe, Wix, Wormingford, Wrabness ==Governance==

The local authority will be North East Essex Council. The first councillors will be elected at the 2027 North East Essex Council election. == References ==