Published: Thursday, 6th March 2025
The leader of Cannock Chase District Council said the community must come first in any government proposals to scrap local councils.
The Government ‘White Paper on Devolution’ has paved the way for all district, borough, small unitary and county councils in Staffordshire to be abolished - to be replaced with new larger unitary authorities.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has revealed a proposed ‘North Staffordshire Unitary Authority’ - which would see the City merge with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. The County Council is suggesting a different approach - and other council leaders in Staffordshire are expected to put forward options before interim proposals are submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Culture and Local Government later this month.
The Government White Paper states all new unitary authorities should be 500,000 in size and have said they prefer proposals to use existing district boundaries as this would make them easier to establish.
Councillor Tony Johnson said that residents and businesses across Cannock Chase would be best served by a new authority that included East Staffordshire, Lichfield, South Staffordshire, Stafford Borough and Tamworth.
Cannock Chase and Stafford Borough Council have been sharing services for more than a decade with a combined population of more than 240,000 residents.
He said: “We have been an effective council that has served our community very well in the current local authority structure in Staffordshire, despite experiencing more than a decade of significant underfunding that created challenges that required us to take difficult decisions - while still delivering the key services residents and businesses of Cannock Chase rely on.
“The Government has set out their vision for local authorities and we must now lead for our communities in delivering local government reorganisation.”
He added: “Ever since the White Paper was launched, I have made it clear that the Cannock Chase community must come first in any decision we make regarding a new authority.
“I believe the option for the six borough and district councils would form a strong and cohesive unitary in South Staffordshire, with Cannock Chase at the heart of this new authority, and would provide the best outcome for our communities.
“Our councils have shared functions and worked together over many years on initiatives and projects to help deliver more efficient services for our residents and businesses.
“So, this proposed option would provide economic stability with a greater strength and geography to compete for investment and opportunities on a regional and national basis. What is also important is that this new unitary meets the criteria specified in the Government White Paper - for example in population size and created from existing authority boundaries - which will result in a smoother, and more cost-effective, process of reorganisation.”
Any interim proposal will be discussed at a meeting of Cannock Chase District Council which the public are able to attend.