01/09/2026
We are demanding that the Government explains how it reached its decision on Local Government Reorganisation in Staffordshire.
We have sent a pre-action protocol letter to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. In the letter, we ask the Government to explain precisely what information the previous Secretary of State, Steve Reed, considered when deciding to merge Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands into a new North Staffordshire unitary authority.
🗣️ Council Leader Jonathan Gullis said: “We want the Government to show us its working so we can properly understand how this decision was reached, what evidence was considered and whether the process was fair and robust.
“Once we have seen that information and considered the Government’s response, we can then take further legal advice and decide what legal avenues, if any, may be available to Newcastle-under-Lyme to challenge the decision.”
Under the Government's plans, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council will be abolished and replaced by a single unitary authority in spring 2028.
A shadow authority will be created in May 2027. It will begin planning how the services will be brought together and take on responsibilities from Staffordshire County Council, which is also being abolished.
Staffordshire’s other councils – Stafford, Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Tamworth and South Staffordshire – will form a second, separate unitary authority.
