Meeting the government’s criteria for reform
Our proposal:
- Creates a single tier of government - each new council would deliver all local services directly.
- Is the right size and scale - councils of around 300–400k residents are proven to be the most efficient and resilient.
- Delivers high-quality, sustainable services, with £15m annual savings by Year 3 and a payback period of under four years.
- Is locally led and evidence-based, shaped by strong collaboration and over 16,700 resident survey responses.
- Demonstrates strong community engagement through events, focus groups and ongoing consultation.
- Supports devolution, through a proposed Mayoral Strategic Authority for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, giving every council an equal voice on countywide issues such as transport, housing, skills and the environment.