The leader of Lichfield District Council says he plans to push for a Staffordshire combined authority in the coming weeks.
Proposals to join a West Midlands link-up were rejected by the Conservative-led group last week.
But despite no Staffordshire option being on the table, Cllr Mike Wilcox says he still believes there could be an opportunity to link-up with other councils across the county.
“Staffordshire County Council leader Philip Atkins has called a summit in October and I’m going to say we need a deal for Staffordshire to present to government,” he said.
“As it stands, other areas have thrown their hats in the ring but Staffordshire hasn’t – we need to be on the front foot.
“I’ll work with Cllr Atkins and other leaders to see if we can try to put a deal together for Staffordshire.”
But Cllr Wilcox’s plans appear to be at odds with those of Lichfield’s Conservative MP Michael Fabricant, who last week told LichfieldLive the regional link up was a tricky one for the council.
“The question now that the council must face is where does it now go?” Mr Fabricant said. “The area has little in common with Stoke or Stafford.
“Most residents work either in the immediate area, in Birmingham, or commute to London.”
Cllr Wilcox insisted the door wasn’t completely closed on a future link-up with the West Midlands group – even if a Staffordshire combined authority came to fruition.
He said: “It’s not to say we couldn’t be members of more than one combined authority in future.
“But at this moment in time because of this issues around governance, I’m not 100% sure a West Midlands combined authority would suit people of Lichfield.”
