Plan for new council to replace district put forward

Staffordshire Moorlands Council is to discuss a proposal for a new North Staffordshire unitary authority.

It comes as the government has called on councils to come up with proposals for replacing the two-tier system that makes up Staffordshire's 10 existing councils and replacing them with two unitary authorities by 2028.

Led by a minority Labour administration, a cross-party committee has recommended an option in which the Moorlands would become part of a North Staffordshire Council, along with Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle, Stone, and part of Uttoxeter and nearby villages.

According to an options appraisal in the council documents, local government reorganisation could save up to £18.8m a year but could cost up to £27.8m in transition costs.

Council leader Mike Gledhill believes the proposal will be good for the Moorlands.

"We're trying to produce the best solution for the Staffordshire Moorlands that meets the criteria that the government has set. One of those criteria refers to having sensible geographic and economic areas. And you can't have a sensible economic area that doesn't include Stoke-on-Trent."

The extended North Staffordshire authority, which would have 536,000 residents in total, would also meet the government's guideline that the new unitaries should have a minimum population of 500,000.

Gledhill argues that including much of the A50 growth corridor will help make it more financially viable.

"One of the issues we've had in the Moorlands is that there aren't a lot of options for economic growth. But if a North Staffordshire council included the A50 corridor, it would have the biggest economic growth area in the county."

Thousands of people have signed a petition, "No to Stoke", set up by Staffordshire Moorlands Conservatives, opposing what they describe as a 'merger' with Stoke-on-Trent.

Local MP Karen Bradley has also voiced her concern, saying the Moorlands should never become "Greater Stoke-on-Trent".

The new leader of the Conservative opposition on the district council, Mark Deaville, was part of the sub-committee working on the plan to submit to the government.

He said the group still believes that local government reorganisation should not happen, but if it does, they will work to deliver what is best for the people of the Staffordshire Moorlands.

This recommendation is due to be discussed at a full council meeting on July 9.

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