'Reorganisation tears up historic boundaries and makes no sense'

COUNCILLORS ACROSS THE POLITICAL DIVIDE ARE UNITED IN OPPOSITION TO PROPOSAL

- 

STAFFORDSHIRE county councillors from across the political divide have spoken out against national plans to reorganise the local government system.

Across England the current two-tier local government system in many counties is set to be axed, with borough, district and county councils set to be replaced with unitary authorities.

Existing authorities are required to submit business cases for proposed new councils to central Government by November 28.

Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet is due to approve the authority's business case at a meeting on November 4. While other councils in Staffordshire are proposing systems that would see separate northern and southern unitary authorities, the county council is putting forward a case for an east and west split.

If approved by Government, this option would mean Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Moorlands, East Staffordshire, Lichfield and Tamworth would form a new East Staffordshire unitary, while Newcastle, Stafford, South Staffordshire and Cannock Chase would merge into West Staffordshire.