A THINK-TANK has warned that local government reorganisation risks becoming a "colossal white elephant".
It comes after the process was paused pending a review, despite elections being expected to take place in May 2027.
The changes would have seen Lichfield District Council and Staffordshire County Council replaced by a new single body covering areas including Stafford, East Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Tamworth and South Staffordshire.
Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of the district council, described the new pause on local government reorganisation as an "extraordinary U-turn".
Now independent group the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) has warned of the impact on councils and staff who have been forced to work on tight deadlines in order to prepare for the unitary authority changes.
Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of LGIU, said:
"What began as the most ambitious change to local government in a generation now looks in danger of becoming a colossal white elephant – a huge drain on time, resources and goodwill.
"Those councils undergoing local government reorganisation have been trying to implement a massively complex project, under intense pressure and to very challenging timescales.
"LGIU’s concern is not the merit or otherwise of the local government reorganisation decisions – many others have made well-argued cases both for and against the many proposals that were submitted. Our overriding concern is that local government leaders, staff and councillors have strained every sinew to meet the deadlines set.
"This announcement – whatever the reasons behind it – rides roughshod over 1000s of hours of work."
Mr Carr-West said the Government needed to work with councils in order to deliver real change.
He added:
"If the Prime Minister is serious about his ambitions to rewire the state, then lessons must be learned from this debacle and learned fast.
"The proposed rewiring transformation is potentially a much larger undertaking than local government reorganisation, involving many more sectors and institutions. Its success will rely on collaboration and trust and the very local institutions that this announcement impacts most. All of which have been dealt a severe blow.
"The Prime Minister needs to bring councils with him. As we have said time and again, local government is vital to his aspirations.
"The Autumn White Paper will need to do a lot of heavy lifting to begin to rebuild trust across the sector and belief in a shared vision for the future of regional and local government."
