COUNTY council chiefs have put forward plans for a new unitary authority for Staffordshire.
Government reforms intend to end two-tier authority areas with initial proposals needing to be submitted by 21st March.
The move would see Staffordshire County Council and Lichfield District Council services combined under a unitary body.
New proposals for a county-wide council and a Mayoral Strategic Authority have now been put forward.
They will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on 5th March.
Cllr Alan White, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said:
“Two-tier local government works in Staffordshire – it strikes the right balance between countywide strategic services and local council services that meet the needs of our different communities.
“However, the Government are clear that they want to see this replaced with fewer, bigger unitary councils in the future.
“With this in mind – and despite having just a few weeks to prepare – we’re responding proactively with an outline proposal which aims to do a number of important things.
“First and foremost, we want to unlock extra powers and funding from Westminster to boost our local economy. We are already bucking the trend, with unemployment levels and business survival rates outperforming regional averages.
“But our ambition is to push further on this with the Mayoral Strategic Authority.
“When it comes to local government reorganisation, our priority is to ensure that people across the whole county can continue to receive good quality, value for money services which recognise and meet the needs of local communities.
“A new Staffordshire unitary would be set up for success, streamlining services which are built on a legacy of well-run, financially stable councils able to invest in their communities. At the same time, vital services that people depend on – such as social care – would not be dismantled, with all the risk that that could entail.”
Subject to cabinet approval, the outline proposal will be put forward for consideration at Staffordshire County Council’s meeting on 13th March.
More detailed proposals will then need to be submitted to the Government by 28th November.
Changes could be fully implemented in 2028.
Cllr White continued:
“It’s important to know that nothing has yet been agreed for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. This is just the start of a significant change that will take many years before it is complete.
“There are alternative proposals from neighbouring councils and we will judge these on their individual merits.
“As we work towards submitting more detailed proposals in the autumn, we will be guided by what the evidence tells us is in the best interests of Staffordshire’s people. They are our priority.”
