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# Councils asked to draw up final plans for local government reorganisation
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/councils-asked-to-draw-up-final-plans-for-local-government-reorganisation/
- Published: 2025-06-13T06:06:00.000Z
- Updated: 2025-06-12T11:38:58.000Z
- Description: Councils across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire have been invited to draw up final proposals for the biggest shake-up of local government in 50 years.
- Author: Phil Corrigan, Local Democracy Reporter
- Tags: Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:49, News

COUNCILS across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire have been invited to draw up final proposals for the biggest shake-up of local government in 50 years.

The Government has issued feedback on interim proposals to replace two-tier councils with unitary authorities, with councils now having until 28th November to submit detailed proposals.

Various outline options were submitted by Staffordshire’s ten councils in March, including controversial plans for a new North Staffordshire authority covering Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands.

The letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says that each council will now be expected to submit a “clear single option” for reorganisation across the whole of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

Funding of £367,336 is being provided to the councils to support the work of drawing up the final plans.

The Government wants to create a single layer of unitary councils across England, which it says will be more efficient.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is backing the plans for the North Staffordshire unitary, which it says will align with the area’s economic geography and allow services to be delivered more effectively.

Under its previous Conservative leadership, Staffordshire County Council submitted an interim proposal for a single unitary authority covering the whole county, but excluding Stoke-on-Trent.

New leader Cllr Ian Cooper, whose Reform UK group took control of the authority after last month’s local elections, said his administration was reviewing the options and that any plan must deliver good value for taxpayers.

Staffordshire residents will be asked for their views on local government reorganisation over the summer.

Cllr Cooper said:

> “As a new administration, we are reviewing the options currently on the table to question whether they can offer Staffordshire’s residents effective and efficient council services in the future.  
>  
> “We will use the feedback from the minister to inform the full proposal to submit to Government in November, but first and foremost any plan must bring real value for local people and deliver quality council services at a lower cost to taxpayers.  
>  
> “Over the summer, we will be gathering the views of residents on what is important to them to help us shape this. Formal consultation and a final recommendation will made by Government.”

Interim proposals were also submitted for a Southern and Mid Staffordshire unitary authority covering Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, South Staffordshire, Stafford and Tamworth.

Elections to shadow unitary councils could take place as early as May 2027, with the new authorities going live in April 2028, but these timings will be confirmed at a later date.