Lichfield District Council considers ‘Southern Staffordshire’ unitary in local government reorganisation

The proposal will be shared at full council on 18 March, and is in response to the government’s English Devolution White Paper, which has requested all local authorities to submit outline plans for reorganisation to government by 21 March.

Leader of Lichfield District Council, Councillor Doug Pullen said: “Lichfield District Council has not sought these changes and I personally don’t agree with them, but we must engage fully to ensure the best outcome for our residents.  

“Any proposal must be guided by four guiding principles; first and foremost, our proposal must be focused on the best outcome for our residents. Secondly, any emerging local authority must remain close, relevant and accountable to the communities it serves.

“We also believe that local democracy matters, so our third guiding principle is that any new unitary authority should have wards small enough for councillors to remain visible, accessible and knowledgeable about their patch. 

“Finally, councils should be based on areas that share an ambition to build on their common economic interests. 

“At this stage, we are exploring the best options and will continue to work on a preferred proposal prior to final submissions in November 2025 that delivers on the Government’s criteria, whilst also meeting our guiding principles.

“Our residents and businesses are at the heart of everything we do. We are working closely with authorities from across Staffordshire to seek the best outcomes for Lichfield District residents and to ensure our proposal helps achieve our ambitions for them.”

Subject to full council’s support and endorsement, Lichfield District Council proposes to work jointly with other local authorities to form a united proposal, given it meets its guiding principles between March and November 2025.