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# Councillors to see term extended as preparations take place for introduction of unitary authorities
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/councillors-to-see-term-extended-as-preparations-take-place-for-introduction-of-unitary-authorities/
- Published: 2026-04-01T07:21:23.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-01T07:21:50.000Z
- Description: Councillors are set to retain their seats for an extended term ahead of the introduction of a new unitary authority.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:11, News

COUNCILLORS are set to retain their seats for an extended term ahead of the introduction of a new unitary authority.

Members of Lichfield District Council’s overview and scrutiny committee were told that elections scheduled to take place in May 2027 will not go ahead due to the local government reorganisation plans.

While no final decision on how Staffordshire’s councils will be reshaped has yet been made, voters will elect councillors to the new authority before it comes into being on 1st April 2028.

Simon Fletcher, chief executive of Lichfield District Council, told the meeting:

> “What happens in May 2027 is that there will be no district council elections. Parish council elections will still take place and elections will also be held for new shadow unitary councils which will then prepare them for the move to a new unitary system in Staffordshire.  
>  
> “On April 1st 2028, the shadow councils become the new unitary authorities and all county and district councils are abolished and all functions are transferred to them.  
>  
> “Before then, district and county councils will continue to deliver services as normal while shadow authorities work in parallel preparing budgets, staffing structures, governance arrangements and service transfer plans.  
>  
> “So for councillors here elected in May 2023 or since in a by-election, their term will continue until April 2028 when the district council is abolished.  
>  
> “This is an extended term designed to maintain stability during the transition period.”

Five unitary authority proposals have been submitted for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent for consideration by the Government, including a three-way split backed by the district council which would see Lichfield District Council consumed by a new body covering East Staffordshire and Tamworth too.

But Staffordshire County Council has thrown its weight behind an east-west split, meaning Lichfield and Burntwood would also be in with the likes of Staffordshire Moorlands and financially-troubled Stoke-on-Trent.

Cllr Colin Ball, deputy leader of the Labour opposition group, questioned whether the election cycle for the new unitary authority would eventually align with those held by other councils which will continue to exist after local government reorganisation.

> “If parish council elections go ahead in 2027 and then new unitary authority becomes live in 2028, does that mean year’s difference between unitary and parish councils? Because that would be expensive to have elections out of cycle.  
>  
> “Can we make sure we make our position clear to Government that there should be no breach of cycle to ensure parish and unitary elections happen at the same time?”

Cllr Doug Pullen, Conservative leader of the council, said the issue had been flagged.

He explained:

> “This has already been raised on calls with the Minister from very outset, because there are parish councils up and down the country which would face bankruptcy if they had to fund their own elections.  
>  
> “If I’m honest, I don’t think that had been considered judging by the reaction of the Minister and civil servants on that call.  
>  
> “But they are considering it now because the financial pressure on parish councils would be too great.”