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Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution Mini Brief

Dear Members,

As you may be aware, local government is changing in Staffordshire. Below is a mini briefing on what we know so far about the changes.

The situation is continuing to develop, and we are currently waiting for the March deadline to pass so we will know what the different proposals for Staffordshire are. Staffordshire’s Council’s still have a few days to approve any new outline proposals.

As always, if you need any help or assistance from the SPCA, or have any questions about this topic, please do get in touch.

Intro

In December 2024, the government set out plans for how they’d like to move powers from central to local government across England. They call this ‘devolution’.

A big part of their plan for this involves reorganising the way local councils work.

The government’s plans are set out in a document called the English Devolution White Paper.

It’s more than one hundred pages long and only mentions Parish Councils 3 times, but the important points are summarised below.

Devolution 

What is devolution and what is the government’s plan around this?

Devolution means giving more power and decision-making authority to local and regional governments.

It’s about shifting power away from the central government in Westminster and putting it in the hands of people closer to the communities they serve.

Some of the key features of the government’s plans for devolution are:

  • Strategic Authorities: These are groups of local councils working together to cover larger areas – think of them as regional governing bodies. Many areas already have combined authorities, which would become Strategic Authorities. The government’s goal is to eventually have strategic authorities covering all of England.
  • Mayors: The government strongly believes in having directly elected mayors to lead strategic authorities. They see mayors as strong, visible leaders who can drive change and be held accountable by the public.  They would also absorb the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner role.
  • Funding: Strategic authorities, particularly those led by mayors, would get more funding from central government. This would give them more control over how money is spent locally that is currently directed in Whitehall.
  • Powers: Devolution would give strategic authorities more control over key areas that affect people’s lives – things like transport, housing, skills, and economic development.

Devolution has widespread support amongst the Staffordshire/Stoke councils and does not impact parish councils.

Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent councils will seek to come together to form the strategic authority. It has been suggested that there will be no “islands” so therefore an adjacent county could join with Staffordshire. However, Staffordshire and Stoke are asking for just a Staffordshire / Stoke strategic authority.

The Government have stated that the new strategic authorities should cover around 1.5 million people. Staffordshire’s population is around 900,000. Stoke-on-Trent’s population is around 250,000.

Local government reorganisation (LGR)

What is local government reorganisation and what is the government’s plan around this?

Local government reorganisation basically means changing the way local government is structured – this includes the number and size of councils, and who is responsible for what.

Right now, in many parts of England, there are two or more levels of council:

  • County Councils: These cover larger areas and deal with things like education, waste disposal, social care, and transportation.
  • District or Borough Councils: These cover smaller areas within counties and handle things like local planning, housing, and waste collection.
  • Parish and Town councils: These councils may look after very local amenities such as allotments, community buildings, play areas and equipment.

In Staffordshire, we have:

  • Staffordshire County Council: Covers the whole of Staffordshire.
  • eight district and borough councils: These are South Staffordshire District Council, Lichfield District Council, Cannock Chase District Council, Stafford Borough Council, Newcastle Under-Lyme Borough Council, East Staffordshire Borough Council, Tamworth Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.
  • 180 town and parish councils (and a handful of parish meetings).
  • one small unitary council: Stoke-on-Trent City Council, which is responsible for providing all council services in its area.

Local government reorganisation aims to simplify the way local government works by:

  • creating unitary councils: These would be single councils responsible for all local government services within a particular area, replacing the District and County Council.
  • making sure councils are a suitable size to be efficient and effective: The government thinks there should be at least 500,000 residents in most new unitary councils. Staffordshire’s population is around 900,000. Stoke-on-Trent’s population is around 250,000.
  • Parish Councils’ are not included in the reorganisation.

Government Timetable

16 December 2024 – initial letter from Jim McMahon requesting proposals to reorganise

March 2025 – All areas to provide interim LGR plan

May 2025 – Counties with delayed elections have reorganisation plans finalised

Early Summer 2025 – English Devolution Bill published

November 2025 – Detailed Devo/LGR plans sent to the Government

2026 – English Devolution Bill receives Royal Assent

May 2026 – Devo mayoral elections in England

Apr/May 2027 – new unitary authority’s elections

Apr/May 2028 – new unitary authority’s elections (Staffordshire likely in this cycle)

 

FAQ 

What local government reorganisation means for Staffordshire? 

The government have stated that new unitary authorities should provide services for at least 500,000 people.

Exactly what this looks like for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent has not yet been agreed, but councils have until 21st March to publish their initial proposals.

Numerous proposals have already been outlined by the many councils in Staffordshire and there is not uniform agreement amongst them on the future for Staffordshire.

Under these numerous proposals the District Councils, Borough Councils, County Council and potentially Stoke-on-Trent City Council would all cease to exist.

Town or parish councils will not be affected structurally by the changes, however, we are likely to see more parish councils created where there are none.

What will happen to my parish council? 

The changes in Staffordshire do not change Parish Councils, when the County/District/Borough Councils cease to exist, the parish councils will remain.

Who makes the final decision on any changes? 

The Government will look at all the detailed proposals submitted by Staffordshire’s councils and make a decision either late this year, or early next year, as to which proposal is implemented.

Will we get a say on changes in my area? 

We believe that consultation will take place between March and November on the different proposals. We will circulate any information when we receive it.

Will parish councils get more funding or powers? 

NALC has been engaging with the Government, at present we do not believe that Parish/Town Councils will get any new funding or powers as part of these changes.

What happens to all the assets owned by the Borough/District/County Council? 

Everything owned by the existing Borough/District/County Council, including community assets, buildings, contracts, debts, money and liabilities will transfer to the new council. Existing parish councils may find that the Borough/District council offers them local assets that are important to the community, such as play areas, community centres, parks, local facilities, etc…  Some members are already talking to their Borough/District Council about taking on more assets.

This does not impact on any assets currently owned by the Parish/Town Council.

Where can I find out more? 

The SPCA will be holding some online briefing sessions for members in April, details will be circulated soon.

You might want to read the full English Devolution White Paper.

You can also read the follow-up letter sent by Jim McMahon, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, to Staffordshire’s councils, setting out timescales and the government’s expectations.

There’s also a helpful set of FAQs from the Local Government Association.