Two council leaders speak about future of local government in Staffordshire

The Government is planning to replace the current two-tier council system in counties such as Staffordshire with unitary authorities.

This means Staffordshire County Council and the area’s eight district and borough authorities face the axe, and in the future residents will see services delivered by a single council rather than two separate ones. Councils across England affected by the reorganisation are currently putting together detailed proposals for new local government systems and have been set a November 28 deadline by the Government.

Aidan Godfrey, leader of Stafford Borough Council, and Cannock Chase District Council’s leader Tony Johnson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) of potential benefits of reorganisation, such as a more straightforward way of accessing services for residents. Currently the county council is responsible for services such as roads maintenance and social care, while district and borough authorities provide bin collections and emergency housing support, and residents may not know which council to approach for which service.

A new “Southern Staffordshire” council has been proposed which would cover Cannock Chase District, East Staffordshire Borough, Lichfield District, South Staffordshire District, Stafford Borough and Tamworth Borough. The plans have been backed by the six district and borough authorities and residents are being invited to have their say in a public survey this month.

In the north of the county, separate plans have been put forward for a North Staffordshire council covering the Newcastle Borough, Staffordshire Moorlands District and Stoke-on-Trent areas. But these proposals could also see Stone and Uttoxeter joining the northern authority, separating them from their traditional links with Stafford and East Staffordshire boroughs.

Councillor Godfrey has has said that any proposal to split Stone and Stafford would be a “red line” for the Stafford Borough authority. And Councillor Johnson highlighted the traditional links that already exist between the southern districts and boroughs, particularly their proud mining heritage.

Councillor Johnson said: “We have quite a lot of history of a north and south Staffordshire – we had different regiments in the army and coalfields in the north and south. I think it’s a natural way to go.

“The Government has given us all this line local government needs reform. I think local government does need some form of reorganisation

“The important thing is we will get an organisation with the six authorities that gives financial sustainability, shared geography and history, strong economic corridors and potential for economic and social growth. I’m a Staffordshire lad born and bred and this is important to me.”

Earlier this month Lichfield District Council’s leader Doug Pullen called on MPs to back “a more community-focused approach to local government reform” and consider two smaller southern authorities alongside the proposed north Staffordshire council. The smaller unitary model would see South Staffordshire, Cannock and Stafford form one authority, while East Staffordshire, Lichfield and Tamworth would form another.

Councillor Pullen said: “It’s about making sure we make the right change. The three-unitary model isn’t perfect, but it’s the least worst option—and one that still delivers the efficiencies government is looking for, without losing sight of the communities we’re here to serve.

“Local government works best when it’s close to the people it serves. The alternative—a single authority stretched across the south of the county—risks creating something that’s big but disconnected.”

Councillor Godfrey said this week that two southern unitary councils was expected to be more expensive than having just one unitary covering all the six local authority areas however. And there was a risk that the move could “fragment” services across the two southern authority areas, he added.

He said: “I think the most important thing here is the services we provide to the public and how those services are distributed and financed. It’s my belief the six districts and boroughs working together as a single unitary provides that and gives us sustainability for the future.

“What we don’t want is to set up a unitary authority that in two or three years’ time is under pressure from much larger authorities in the north and south and ends up in special measures. The services it provides will be vital – adult social care, children’s social care, highways – these are extremely important services and you have to have a robust council providing them.”

While the finer details of the final proposals are yet to be confirmed, Councillor Godfrey spoke of satellite offices in each part of the new authority area. He added: “There will be a new role for town councils – Stafford and Cannock are looking at creating town councils.”

During the last major local government reorganisation to affect Staffordshire, the new Stafford Borough Council operated as a “shadow council”for a year alongside its four predecessors from 1973 to 1974. The current district and borough councils are set to be abolished in 2028 – and question marks remain about whether borough and district elections previously scheduled for 2027 will go ahead or not.

What is more certain is that residents will continue to need the services provided by councils, from social care to fixing potholes to bin collections. And time is running out for those residents to help shape the future providers of those services, with the survey covering the area of the six southern districts and boroughs closing on Monday, September 1.

So far more than 13,000 people have had their say – including more than 9,000 in Stafford Borough and Cannock Chase District combined. For more information – and to take part in the survey – visit https://online1.snapsurveys.com/shapingstaffordshire.