New website launched for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent council reorganisation plans – and residents can have their say until 26 March

Staffordshire County Council has launched a new website to help residents understand the government’s plans to change how local councils work across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

The site is called the Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Local Government Reorganisation Hub, and it pulls together the key background, the five different proposals, a plain-English Q&A section, and links to the official government consultation where people can share their views.

The hub is here:https://staffordshirestokelgr.org.uk/ 

What is this all about?

The hub explains that the government’s English Devolution White Paper set out plans to simplify local government in many areas by reducing the number of councils and creating unitary authorities.

A unitary council is a single council responsible for all the main council services in its area (rather than services being split between a county council and district/borough councils).

What would change in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent?

Right now Staffordshire has:

• Staffordshire County Council

• Eight district/borough councils

• Stoke-on-Trent City Council (already unitary)

• Town/parish councils (very local services)

The reorganisation would replace the existing county/city/district/borough structure with fewer unitary councils (the exact model is what the consultation is about).

Devolution vs local government reorganisation (they’re not the same)

The hub also makes a helpful distinction:

• Devolution is about shifting powers and funding from central government to local areas.

• Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is about changing council structures, reducing the number of councils, and creating unitary councils.

The five proposals people can comment on

The government consultation is asking for views on five different proposals submitted by councils in the area. These were submitted on 28 November 2025 and are now in a statutory consultation.

Proposal 1: Two councils (North / South) using existing boundaries

Proposed by: Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Stafford Borough, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

• North Staffordshire: Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent

• South Staffordshire: Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, South Staffordshire, Stafford, Tamworth

Proposal 2: Two councils (East / West)

Proposed by: Staffordshire County Council

• East Staffordshire: East Staffs, Lichfield, Staffs Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent, Tamworth

• West Staffordshire: Cannock Chase, Newcastle-under-Lyme, South Staffs, Stafford

Proposal 3: Two councils (North / Southern & Mid-Staffs) with some districts split by parishes

Proposed by: Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

• North Staffordshire: Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs Moorlands + 16 parishes from East Staffs + 6 parishes from Stafford

• Southern & Mid-Staffs: Cannock Chase, Lichfield, South Staffs, Tamworth + remaining East Staffs parishes + remaining Stafford parishes

Proposal 4: Three councils (North / South-West / South-East)

Proposed by: Lichfield, South Staffs, Tamworth

• North Staffordshire: Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent

• South-West Staffordshire: Cannock Chase, South Staffs, Stafford

• South-East Staffordshire: Lichfield, East Staffs, Tamworth

Proposal 5: Four councils

Proposed by: Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

• Unitary 1: Newcastle-under-Lyme

• Unitary 2: Cannock Chase, South Staffs, Stafford

• Unitary 3: Staffs Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent

• Unitary 4: East Staffs, Lichfield, Tamworth

The hub includes links to each proposal and its executive summary for anyone who wants to go deeper.

Key dates and what happens next

The hub’s timeline sets out what to expect next:

• February 2026: Government statutory consultation launched

• Summer 2026: Government decision on reorganisation

• May 2027: Elections to “shadow” unitary councils

• April 2028: New unitary councils “go live”

The Q&A page also states that services will continue to be delivered by your current councils until new councils go live (April 2028 at the earliest).

How to have your say (deadline: 26 March)

The official consultation is being run by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and it closes at 11:59pm on 26 March 2026.

You can respond via the online consultation here:https://consult.communities.gov.uk/local-government-reorganisation/staffordshire-and-stoke-on-trent/