A new plan under review at Staffordshire County Council could split the county into two unitary authorities as part of the local government reorganisation programme.
At a Cabinet meeting on 17 September, cabinet members will consider developing a business case for two unitary councils: one for East Staffordshire and one for West Staffordshire.
The East council would serve around 690,000 people across Staffordshire Moorlands, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Tamworth, and Stoke-on-Trent, while the West council would cover nearly 488,000 residents in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Cannock Chase, and South Staffordshire.
The county council is required to put forward a proposal that meets Government guidelines and addresses Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s financial challenges.
Ian Cooper, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said: ‘Local Government Reorganisation could help to streamline and simplify council services, making council taxpayers money work harder.
‘Unrealistic timescales and Government guidelines risk undermining this but we will put forward the strongest possible business case in November to try to make the best of this situation for Staffordshire’s residents and businesses.’
For more on local government reorganisation, check out: Leadership and HR in local government transformation.
