Cannock Chase Council leader backs concept of southern Staffordshire council
Cannock Chase Council’s leader has joined his Stafford counterpart in backing the concept of a southern Staffordshire authority to serve residents in the future.
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Staffordshire’s eight district and borough councils are set to be abolished in the coming years as part of national plans to reorganise the local government system.
The Government’s English Devolution White Paper proposes replacing the current two-tier council system in areas such as Staffordshire with unitary authorities and states all new unitary authorities should cover a population of at least 500,000 people.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council have both unveiled draft plans for the creation of new authorities for the area in recent days, ahead of a March 21 deadline set by the national Government. Full proposals are expected to be put forward by November 28.
Earlier this week Stafford Borough Council leader Aidan Godfrey said that district and borough council leaders have been having informal discussions about the option of a southern Staffordshire unitary council. Stafford Borough Council and Cannock Chase District Council, which have been sharing services for more than a decade, have a combined population of more than 240,000.
Cannock Chase Council leader Tony Johnson said this week that residents and businesses across Cannock Chase would be best served by a new authority that included East Staffordshire, Lichfield, South Staffordshire, Stafford Borough and Tamworth.
He added: “We have been an effective council that has served our community very well in the current local authority structure in Staffordshire, despite experiencing more than a decade of significant underfunding that created challenges that required us to take difficult decisions – while still delivering the key services residents and businesses of Cannock Chase rely on.
“The Government has set out their vision for local authorities and we must now lead for our communities in delivering local government reorganisation. Ever since the White Paper was launched, I have made it clear that the Cannock Chase community must come first in any decision we make regarding a new authority.
“I believe the option for the six borough and district councils would form a strong and cohesive unitary in South Staffordshire, with Cannock Chase at the heart of this new authority, and would provide the best outcome for our communities. Our councils have shared functions and worked together over many years on initiatives and projects to help deliver more efficient services for our residents and businesses.
“So, this proposed option would provide economic stability with a greater strength and geography to compete for investment and opportunities on a regional and national basis. What is also important is that this new unitary meets the criteria specified in the Government White Paper – for example in population size and created from existing authority boundaries – which will result in a smoother, and more cost-effective, process of reorganisation.”
Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s proposals include the creation of a North Staffordshire authority, covering Newcastle Borough and Staffordshire Moorlands District alongside the city. And the county council’s proposals include joining with Staffordshire’s eight district and borough authorities to create a single unitary authority.
Local government reorganisation is set to be discussed at an extraordinary full Cannock Chase Council meeting on Monday, March 17. Members of the public are able to attend the meeting, which starts at 6pm at the Civic Centre in Cannock.
