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Image caption, Plans to split Staffordshire into two 'super councils' were announced in July By Jennie Aitken BBC Stoke and Staffordshire political reporter and Phil Corrigan LDRS Plans to split Staffordshire into two 'super councils' have been withdrawn by the government but reorganisation will still go ahead, it has been confirmed. Ministers said on Thursday that the plan for the new council boundaries would be announced in early 2027. It was announced in July that Staffordshire's ten councils were due to be scrapped and replaced with new northern and southern unitary authorities, but plans were put on hold in September .
Local government minister Jim McMahon said he would look at the options for each area with an "open mind" and would not be drawn on whether the controversial north-south split would be adopted. "It should not be assumed that the same proposal will be automatically selected," he said. "It's important to allow the process to run its course and to allow full and proper consideration" Local elections will go ahead in May according to existing council boundaries.
It is hoped the new councils will be established for 2029, with elections to rill the new local authorities in May 2028. Why is the reorganisation still going ahead? At the moment, local services in Staffordshire are divided between the county and district councils, while Stoke-on-Trent has a single unitary council.
The government said that scrapping and replacing them under it's devolution bill, would help streamline and simplify services, and could save money. It has been a political hot potato in Staffordshire and beyond, with concerns raised about how 'merging' authorities would affect council finances. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told BBC News on a visit to Derby he knew it was not a popular policy.
"I know people don't like this type of change," he said. "It's about getting the best services for the public and that's why we're sticking to this path." So whilst other areas have been given the green light on reorganisation, it's back to to the drawing board on plans for how Stoke and Staffordshire will be split. How have politicians reacted?
The news that the council shake-up plans had been withdrawn were welcomed by some, but raised questions of an uncertain future. Speaking in the House of Commons, Newcastle-under-Lyme's Labour MP Adam Jogee, called on the government to focus on devolution in Staffordshire: "I welcome the announcement that the minister has scrapped what I would call the disgraceful and discourteous announcement made in July," he said. "He's right to throw it out.
"But my constituents in Newcastle-under-Lyme want and deserve certainty and clarity, and I didn't hear much of it in the statement." For Reform-led Staffordshire County Council, acting leader Hayley Coles said the decision left staff and communities "facing uncertainty". "Withdrawing a decision is not a substitute for explaining it," she said. "Our confidence in this process is wearing thin." Mayor for Staffordshire the 'big prize' The government is also in the final stages of confirming a new strategic mayoral authority for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, it was announced in Wednesday's Autumn Budget.
Once approved, elections for a Staffordshire mayor would happen in May 2028. Stuart Elford, the director of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, described this as the "big prize" to come out of the budget and the area was "crying out" for growth and investment. Image caption, Elford has written to the PM to thank him for listening to calls for county to get a mayor The area's Labour MPs have written a joint statement describing a mayoral authority as "new powers" that will put the county "in the driving seat".
Councillor Jane Ashworth, Labour leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council said a mayor would "put us at the head of the pack". "We know this city and county have huge potential - and the key to unlocking that is putting the power in the hands of the people who live and work here, not bureaucrats in Westminster," she said. "This is an important step towards making sure our area has a stronger voice and can shape its own future." The news was also welcomed by Reform leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council Jonathan Gullis.
"It has to be genuine devolved power from Westminster to Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent with serious funding behind it, similar to the mayors that we see in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester," he said. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook , external , X , external and Instagram , external . Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk , external
Source: BBC
