Overview
View the latest news about Local Government Reorganisation
In December 2024, the government published a document called the English Devolution White Paper
Part of this document set out plans to reorganise the way local councils work.
The government aim to simplify the way local government works by:
- Creating unitary councils: These would be single councils responsible for all local government services within a particular area.
- Ensuring councils are a suitable size to be efficient and effective.
This means all your services are delivered by one council, instead of between the county, city and district and borough councils.
Staffordshire currently has 10 councils – Staffordshire County Council, Stoke on Trent City Council, and our eight district and borough councils.
We are proposing to reorganise into two new councils – East and West Staffordshire.
Our proposal
Of the options that meet the government’s criteria for change, our research shows that the East-West option represents the best value for money and financial stability.
An East-West split would also give both new councils the best chance of success, meaning better services and better value for all of our residents and businesses.
The full proposal was submitted to Government in November 2025, and in early 2026 residents will be able to share their views through a formal public consultation.
Government is expected to make a final decision in summer 2026, and if the changes go ahead, the earliest full that new councils would be in place is expected to be in 2028.
How we'll keep you updated
Any change will take several years to work through.
You can follow the latest updates on the Staffordshire Newsroom and on our social media channels.
You can also sign up for MyStaffordshire, a fortnightly email update delivered to your inbox.
