Ahead of the local elections on 7 May, new research commissioned by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) with Ipsos reveals that the majority of the public think proposed new electoral reforms could have a positive effect on turnout. Alongside this, LGIU analysis of this year’s contests across 136 local authorities suggests that the elections will be the most unpredictable for decades, with widespread changes of council control and swathes of new councillors replacing incumbents.

The polling also found strong public appetite for greater engagement in local decision-making. Three in five (61%) adults want more information on how decisions are made locally, with a quarter (25%) keen to have more of a say in how those decisions are made. While 61% say that councils have the most impact on the quality of life in their areas, less than half (43%) trust those councils to act in the best interest of people in their local area.

Awareness of local government reorganisation and devolution remains low. Only 31% of respondents said they were following devolution plans very or fairly closely, although more (41%) had followed stories about the cancellation and reinstatement of local elections linked to that process. There appears to be no real public consensus that the single-tier model will work better than the current structure, with 25% saying it is the best option. Others are split between thinking the two tier option is best (38%), saying there is no difference (15%) or they don’t know (23%).

The vast majority of people (83%) think that local residents should always have a say on decisions that impact their local area, and they see the views of local councillors and residents as the most important in shaping decisions.

There is no lack of interest in the work of local government - in fact, most people want to know more about how their council makes decisions. What we do find, however, is a worrying lack of trust in councillors and councils. Admittedly, it’s worse for national government and politicians in Westminster, but that is not a reassuring benchmark. LGIU’s analysis of the upcoming local election contests suggests that the result of this dissatisfaction could well be widespread change in the political makeup of many councils across the country.

Local government reform and systemic voting reforms are happening concurrently. Together, they offer us a very real opportunity to renew engagement with local democracy and the institutions that it mandates.

We can only do this if the government and councils make residents’ involvement in the new local authorities a priority. People want their voices reflected in local decisions. If we start now by engaging communities in the creation of new councils before they come on stream, we can begin to rebuild the trust and two-way engagement that is essential for the future of both local democracy and local communities.

Keiran Pedley, Director of Politics, Ipsos UK said: “Our findings reflect a consistent pattern in the data that we have seen over time. The public recognise the value and impact of local government but often do not feel very well informed on how it works. Whilst the public typically want to know more about how decisions are made or have more of a say they often do not want to get more involved beyond that and there is little public knowledge of government reforms or consensus about what form of local government works best. With that said, various suggested electoral reforms are supported and the public expect they could boost turnout - especially online voting or extending the number of days that polling stations are open.”