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Take part in the consultation: Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Local Government Reorganisation Hub
Government has launched a public consultation on local government reorganisation in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
This is the next step in the process following the submission of our business case proposal in November. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is now consulting on all five proposals that were submitted by councils across Staffordshire.
What this means
The consultation is now live and will run for seven weeks until 26 March. It's open to everyone – residents, businesses, partners and stakeholders. Government is seeking views on all the proposals submitted, including our proposal for three unitary councils covering South-East Staffordshire, South-West Staffordshire, and North Staffordshire.
This is a government-led consultation. They have published the consultation documents and are managing the process.
Information and how to take part
We've worked with all councils across Staffordshire to create a website that brings together all the proposals and information about local government reorganisation in our area. You can find it at Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Local Government Reorganisation Hub
The consultation is open to everyone, and we'd encourage you to take part and have your say on the proposals. Your views matter, and this is your opportunity to feed into government's decision-making process.
What’s happening?
In December 2024, the government published plans for local government reorganisation and devolution. The government views these proposals as parallel processes, they are distinct from each other.
The plans outlined in the ‘Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth’ White Paper aim to:
- Devolve decision making powers from central government to local ‘strategic authority areas’, enabling them to make decisions tailored to their specific economic, social, and geographic circumstances. This is called devolution
- Simplify the current two-tier system of local government, as seen in Staffordshire, where services are provided by both county and district/borough councils, moving instead to larger unitary authorities that would deliver all services within their area. This is called local government reorganisation.
What does this mean for Tamworth?
Currently, Tamworth covers a population of just under 80,000 and so it will see an end to current two-tier areas where services are delivered via different councils – such as Tamworth Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council – with a single council representing around 300,000 - 500,000 residents instead.
The new council will have new powers and responsibilities, such as education and social care, that as Tamworth Borough Council we don’t currently have any control over.
The shape of local government is yet to be determined. While proposals have been submitted, the decision on how local government will be structured in Staffordshire and Tamworth lie with central government.
What has been proposed?
Together with Lichfield District Council and South Staffordshire Council, the proposal we’ve submitted to government is for three balanced, community-focused unitary councils across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
The proposal would create:
- A council covering East Staffordshire, Lichfield and Tamworth (population 322,708)
- A council covering Cannock, South Staffordshire and Stafford (population 360,067)
- A council covering Stoke, Staffordshire Moorlands and Newcastle-under-Lyme (population 498,803)
This model is shaped by feedback from over 16,700 residents and businesses who took part in one of the largest local government engagement exercises ever carried out in Staffordshire.
Three-quarters of respondents said they want councils that remain local, visible and community-focused.
View the business case proposal.
For more information:
Joint submission to government on southern and mid Staffordshire local.
Press release outlining Tamworth’s position following full council on 10 March.
10 March full council report and decision.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government feedback letter
Press release outlining proposal to create three unitary councils across Staffordshire
Business case proposal
The existing Staffordshire authority make up
In Staffordshire the local government family currently consists of:
Staffordshire County Council
Stoke on Trent City Council
Eight borough and district councils:
Cannock Chase District Council
East Staffordshire Borough Council
Lichfield District Council
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
South Staffordshire Council
Stafford Borough Council
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
Tamworth Borough Council
For most residents in Staffordshire there are two types of local government functions, delivered by two different councils:
- Staffordshire County Council - responsible for functions such as transport, social care and education.
- Borough and district councils - responsible for services such housing, planning, parks, bins and recycling. And for Tamworth also Tamworth Castle and Tamworth Assembly Rooms.
Unitary authorities are responsible for all these functions.
Local government re-organisation is the replacement of two-tier arrangements with unitary local government.
Further information
Local government reorganisation
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is the process of restructuring local authorities to create unitary councils that deliver all services currently managed by both county and district councils.
Key features include:
- Combining county and district councils into larger unitary authorities.
- Creating councils with populations of at least 500,000 to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity, and withstand financial challenges.
- Reducing duplication and fragmentation in public services.
When will the reorganisation take place?
This is an outline of the timeline provided by the Government in the white paper. It included proposed and confirmed dates at current:
5 February 2025 Statutory invitation received from government to submit unitary proposals
21 March 2025 Submit interim local government reorganisation proposal
End April Initial government response to proposals
28 November 2025 Submit full Local Government Reorganisation proposal
April 2028 New unitary councils established (formally called vesting day)
What happens next?
The government will assess the business case proposal alongside others submitted this year.
For more information about local government reorganisation see:
Devolution
Government proposals for devolution seek to create ‘strategic authorities’.
Strategic authorities oversee the big major infrastructure programmes as directed by government such as strategic planning, transport, skills etc, like we see with organisations like the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Strategic authorities sit above the new unitary councils and do not deliverer the day-today services and functions. Government suggest the ideal population size for strategic authorities is being set at 1.5million.
For more information about devolution see: