MEMBERS of Lichfield District Council are preparing to debate plans which could see a new Southern Staffordshire unitary authority created.
The Government has outlined proposals which would see an end to two-tier council areas.
It would mean that instead of two councils – such as Lichfield District Council and Staffordshire County Council – services would be delivered by a single body covering at least 500,000 residents.
Initial proposals must be submitted by 21st March, with fuller details required by November.
A meeting of Lichfield District Council will see the new Southern Staffordshire proposal – consisting of up to six of the current county districts – considered.
Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of Lichfield District Council, said:
“Lichfield District Council has not sought these changes and I personally don’t agree with them, but we must engage fully to ensure the best outcome for our residents.
“Any proposal must be guided by four guiding principles – first and foremost, our proposal must be focused on the best outcome for our residents. Secondly, any emerging local authority must remain close, relevant and accountable to the communities it serves.
“We also believe that local democracy matters, so our third guiding principle is that any new unitary authority should have wards small enough for councillors to remain visible, accessible and knowledgeable about their patch.
“Finally, councils should be based on areas that share an ambition to build on their common economic interests.”
Subject to full council’s support and endorsement, Lichfield District Council proposes to work jointly with other local authorities to form a united proposal, given it meets its guiding principles, between March and November 2025.
Cllr Pullen said:
“At this stage, we are exploring the best options and will continue to work on a preferred proposal prior to final submissions in November 2025 that delivers on the Government’s criteria while also meeting our guiding principles.
“Our residents and businesses are at the heart of everything we do. We are working closely with authorities from across Staffordshire to seek the best outcomes for Lichfield district residents and to ensure our proposal helps achieve our ambitions for them.”
What is wrong with the current system?
How much will all this cost?
Why do the public not get to vote on this?
Great news This is already working well in many areas in England. The evidence is overwhelming
It’s all in the words isn’t it? Not ‘their’ ambitions but ‘our’ ambitions. The District Council has always put business first and the ‘residents’ last. This has been totally obvious with the massive changes in housing development and warehouses that have swamped the area. Had the ‘residents’ been considered we would have more schools (especially secondry) social and youth facilities, a proper swimming pool and leisure centre accessible to all, cinema (yes I know but A. Its still not here yet, and B. The impact has compromised shops and parking. Oh! C. The contract will be a an Albatross to local finances when it goes belly up.) No museum in an historic City!! And infrastructure that is a nightmare. There is more, sadly much more.
The biggest disappointment is that the ‘residents’ have become indifferent to the council. The Democratic Process has dissolved in the face of their machinations. It is difficult to understand what motivates the likes of Doug Pullen and others.
@Flossy
Yeah they’re working so well… out of the 6 English councils that have declared bankruptcy in the country, 5 of them are unitary/single tier!
We don’t want this, we don’t deserve this and we will fight this.
Additionally, the size of the proposed unitary areas really annoys me – unitary does an ok job in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where most districts are around 100-200k people. I’d be all for a unitary Lichfield district at 107k or a Lichfield & Tamworth at 195k but these options are not on the table, it’s starmer’s way or the highway.
I’ll be making my voice heard in May, and we all should, in the Staffordshire CC Election.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Why is the government wasting time and resource on this. Lichfield District Council has served Lichfield and the district well over the years, I don’t see this as a positive move. We will end up with a diluted focus on Lichfield and the district which will not benefit any of us residents and businesses, and we are the very people who pay for this.
Theer are 62 unitary councils now + 6 shire unitary councils – this is a cost saving efficiency excercise [saving on councillors expenses alone is already eye watering] Some unitary councils were technically insolvent pre becoming unitary. For LDC this was forecast as “very likely” by the then councillors [Val Richards Conservative Deputy Leader & Mike Wilcox the Leader] as long ago as 2002/3 when working with Tamworth to save money & increase efficiency with waste collections started.That seems to work well. Regardless of protest it will happen. Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas
Just four reasons to change to a Unitary Authority.
1) Cost reduction in tiers of bureaucracy removed
2) More joined up Local Govt. Currently Council Tax payers confused as to who does what
3) Better localised and regional planning. Wider view leads to more informed outcomes
4) Economies of scale. A larger authority has more financial power and flexibility
I have worked closely with both County and District Councils and with Unitary, the latter being far and away the more beneficial to residents
Andrew is unique in that he is the only person, other than councillors and their mates, who I have come across who thinks that the LDC has served Lichfield well over the years. He must live in a utopian Lichfield in another galaxy far, far away because the one we live in, here in Staffordshire, has been anything but well served in recent years. Councillors all parties need to honestly look both around and at the district, honestly talk to a wide range of residents, even read the comments on Lichfield Live – Lichfield is broke, it does need fixing.