Posted on Wednesday 15th October 2025
The proposal for Local Government Reorganisation in Staffordshire takes the next step when it is discussed at a meeting of county councillors.
Staffordshire County Council’s proposal, based on Government criteria and financial modelling, is for two new unitary councils – Staffordshire East and Staffordshire West. This will now be presented at the meeting of Full Council on October 23.
Ian Cooper, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said:
“Local government reorganisation is not something we have sought in Staffordshire. It involves significant risk and high cost with uncertain returns. Nevertheless, we are required to do this and by following the rules set out by Government we are determined to get the best deal for the residents and businesses we serve.
We used expert analysis to examine in detail eight potential options against the Government’s own criteria and, a Staffordshire East unitary, which includes the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and Staffordshire West unitary - is the most balanced option for LGR in Staffordshire, recognising no one option is perfect.”
Following the meeting of Full Council, the Full Business Case for the new unitary councils serving Staffordshire East and Staffordshire West will be discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet on November 4 - before being submitted to Government at the end of November.
If taken forward by Government, the Staffordshire East council would 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.
The Staffordshire West council would serve 487,794 people in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Cannock Chase and South Staffordshire.
Martin Murray, Deputy Leader and Lead Cabinet Member for Local Government Reorganisation, said:
“While there is no ideal option, the evidence shows that the East-West option scored higher than a North-South split for example, and we have a duty to put forward an option which has the best chance of success based on the Government’s own criteria.
“Our preference would have been for Devolution to happen first, , this East-West model can also support the establishment of a Mayoral Strategic Authority for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent area, as we work to securing the benefits that genuine devolution would offer to complement our own ambitions for the county and for the city.”
Details of how to watch Full Council on October 23 can be found here on the day.
The Government is expected to consult on its preferred option/s before making a decision in 2026.