Victorious councillors in next year's postponed elections could serve for just 12 months before fresh polls are held to new unitaries, unless ministers pause voting again.

Elections to shadow unitaries in Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) areas are scheduled to be held in 2027, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's (MHCLG) official timetable – a year after the postponed county elections are due to be held in Essex, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Suffolk and Thurrock.