Key Asks from Government – As Staffordshire Finalises LGR Submission

County leaders favour devolution of power and resources rather than council reorganisation

Leaders of Staffordshire County Council have outlined their “Key Asks” from Government as they prepare to submit their final proposal for Local Government Reorganisation. 

The proposed option and final business case will be presented to the council’s Cabinet on November 4, before being submitted to Government by its November 28 deadline.  

The Government is expected to take forward its preferred option/s for the reorganisation of the county council, city council and district and borough councils across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent for public consultation in early 2026 – before Government makes the decision next summer. 

Ian Cooper, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said:

This is a Government driven demand, Government driven deadlines and ultimately a Government decision. 

We have worked within the Government’s parameters and the East-West Option is the one option for LGR in Staffordshire, which scored highest against the criteria and against financial scrutiny, and is the fairest and most likely option to succeed for the county and the city. 

We will be making it clear to Government when we submit our option that our conversations will not stop on November 28 as we will continue to challenge to promote the best interest of our residents, our businesses and our county.” 

If taken forward by Government, the East-West option would see:  

• Staffordshire East council provide services for 689,784 people in Staffordshire Moorlands, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Tamworth and Stoke-on-Trent using the existing district and borough council boundaries  
• Staffordshire West council would serve 487,794 people in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Cannock Chase and South Staffordshire 

Martin Murray, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Lead on Local Government Reorganisation, said:

The real prize is genuine devolution and not an unnecessary, expensive and risky shake-up of local councils.  

What we want to see is power and resources flow from the hands of Whitehall into the hands of local decision-makers and into local economies, transport and growth.” 

The Key Asks outlined in the Business Case for the East-West Option include: 

• Devolution - to be rolled out as a priority for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent 
• Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s financial issues – reassurance the impact will be mitigated in LGR implementation 
• Realistic funding – to facilitate reorganisation and safeguard services 
• Transparency and clear processes – a commitment to be honest and hold meaningful engagement with the county and city before a final decision is taken 

In preparing the final option, the county council examined eight options with the East-West being the strongest financially and ultimately scoring higher than a North-South option across a range of factors including balance of: debt, assets, children's social care demand and housing need.  

Full details can be found here