Businesses need certainty over Staffordshire’s future after plans to reorganise local government were put on pause, Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce has warned.
The government halted the local government reorganisation process yesterday, announcing a review into the shake-up following legal advice.
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are among 16 areas where decisions will be review and paused, while decisions on four other areas have been withdrawn.
The government announced in July that Staffordshire would be reorganised into two new unitary councils from April 2028 – one serving Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent and the Staffordshire Moorlands and the over covering Stafford, East Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Tamworth and South Staffordshire.
The review comes just days after Staffordshire’s local authorities announced voluntary joint committees were being established to help prepare for the county’s new councils.
The announcement by Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has prompted calls for the region to use the pause to push ahead with plans for greater devolution and, ultimately, a Mayoral Strategic Authority.
Chamber Chief Executive Stuart Elford said businesses needed “certainty, a strong voice and access to the same opportunities” as companies in areas that had already embraced devolution.
He told Daily Focus: “Our view is that Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent should be ambitious and move directly towards a Mayoral Strategic Authority, rather than spending valuable time putting an interim structure in place.
“The Government has been clear that the mayoral model is where greater powers and funding ultimately sit, and we believe businesses should be able to benefit from those opportunities as soon as possible.”
Stuart added: “Whatever model is taken forward; it is vital that businesses do not lose out during the transition.
“The Government will inevitably prioritise areas and structures that are ready to take on greater responsibilities, and Staffordshire needs to be in a position to compete for investment, funding and opportunities on an equal footing.”
The Government’s decision to pause the reorganisation has been welcomed by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, which has strongly opposed plans to abolish the borough council.
Council leader Jonathan Gullis said the suspension “vindicates” the authority’s decision to challenge the reorganisation and commission independent King’s Counsel advice on its legality.
He said the Government’s review was “hugely significant” and demonstrated why the council had been right not to regard the proposed changes as a “done deal”.
Mr Gullis called on the Government to abandon the proposed abolition of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.
He said: “My message could not be clearer: stop the abolition of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, listen to our residents and respect our Borough’s right to determine its own future.”
Stoke-on-Trent South MP Dr Allison Gardner has also welcomed the pause and said that while she supports a North Staffordshire unitary authority, there are still “important questions” about the proposed boundaries, and the review gives time to “get this right”.
For example, she said that under current boundary plans Blythe Bridge would be split between the proposed North and South authorities and that Trentham Gardens would come under South Staffordshire “despite the significant traffic it generates predominantly affecting residents and communities in North Staffordshire.”
The Government has confirmed that local elections in May 2027 will go ahead on existing council boundaries.
Announcing the review in Parliament, the Secretary of State said: “In light of legal advice, I want to satisfy myself that the right process is in place, that it is robust, and of course complies with the law.”
