Stoke councillors approve merging into big new North Staffordshire Council
Elections for the new authority are planned for May 2027
City councillors have approved the creation of a new North Staffordshire unitary authority, covering Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Staffordshire Moorlands.
The government chose a north-south split proposal for Staffordshire, sparking controversy, especially at Newcastle Borough Council.
Council leader Jane Ashworth stressed the benefits: “LGR will create a fantastic new opportunity... with real heft, real weight, and a really strong voice by virtue of our size, our economy and the superpowers of our people.”
She assured residents, “this is not a Stoke-on-Trent takeover. There will be elections for the new council in May 2027.”
Conservative councillor Ross Irving viewed the merger as a ‘historic’ chance for better governance: “...now is the time to come together and work towards providing first class local government for all the residents.”
Reform UK leader Dan Jellyman cautioned against over-expectation, stating, “this isn’t going to be some wonderful silver bullet to address the long-standing deep-rooted problems... Combining the four local authorities into one is not going to release any mass economic potential.”
City councillors unanimously voted to delegate preparation powers to the chief executive for the new authority, with elections set for May 2027, initiating the transition process.
First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.