'No-one asked for this'

Anger over plans for town breakaway in councils shake-up

- Kerry Ashdown

COUNCILLORS have hit out at proposals that could see Stone become part of North Staffordshire - and split up from the county town as part of local government reorganisation.

The Government is planning to replace the two-tier council system in counties such as Staffordshire with unitary authorities.

This means Staffordshire County Council and the eight district and borough authorities face the axe.

Services will then be delivered by a single council rather than two separate ones.

Councils across England affected by the reorganisation are putting together detailed proposals for new systems and have been set a November 28 deadline by the Government.

Stafford Borough could form part of a wider Southern Staffordshire council, alongside Cannock Chase District, East Staffordshire Borough, Lichfield District, South Staffordshire District and Tamworth Borough.