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# Lichfield District Council leader calls for rethink on north-south local government reorganisation plan for Staffordshire
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/lichfield-district-council-leader-calls-for-rethink-on-north-south-local-government-reorganisation-plan-for-staffordshire/
- Published: 2026-10-16T06:55:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-16T06:55:00.000Z
- Description: Cllr Doug Pullen writes to Minister amid speculation previous proposals could be back on the table.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Politics, News

A MINISTER has been urged to reconsider options for local government reorganisation if the process is revived.

A previous proposal for a north-south split in Staffordshire would have seen Lichfield and Burntwood in a unitary authority with areas including Stafford, East Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Tamworth and South Staffordshire.

But the process was paused in recent months – with some areas of the country seeing proposals scrapped altogether.

[ ](#) 

However, speculation is now mounting that the previous unitary authority plans for Staffordshire could now be revived.

Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of Lichfield District Council, has written to Jim McMahon, Minister for Local Government, Devolution and Growth, calling for "genuine reconsideration" of which option would be best for the area.

An alternative three-unitary model had been proposed and backed by the district council.

Cllr Pullen said:

> "I would much rather see the original proposal scrapped, but if the Government is determined to press ahead, there is a better option \[than the north-south split\].  
>  
> "Bigger does not necessarily mean better – and efficiency should not be confused with scale.  
>  
> "A single authority covering almost 700,000 residents across six districts and boroughs risks losing the local accountability and community identity that people value.  
>  
> "The three-unitary proposal from Lichfield, Tamworth and South Staffordshire is credible, evidence-based and built around how people actually live, work and travel.  
>  
> "Councils serving 300,000 to 400,000 people can deliver the efficiencies and value for taxpayers the Government wants, while staying genuinely local. This view is shared by colleagues across Staffordshire and across party lines.  
>  
> "We may disagree on plenty, but we agree that local government must reflect the communities it serves."

Cllr Pullen has asked the Government not to treat the previously announced two-unitary structure as a settled starting point.

He has also requested a meeting with the Minister, alongside colleagues from different political backgrounds, to discuss how a smaller-geography model could meet national objectives.

Cllr Pullen added:

> "This is a chance to get this right for a generation. We should not let the desire for structural simplicity outweigh the need for councils that are genuinely local, effective and sustainable."

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