Areas Affected
- Lichfield District wide
The government has announced plans to reorganise all county areas in England, including Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, into unitary councils.
Although Lichfield District Council has not sought these changes, we cannot ignore them. We have therefore worked with neighbouring councils to shape a proposal that reflects our residents’ views and meets both our guiding principles and the government’s criteria for reform.
Our proposal
Our proposal includes the creation of South-East Staffordshire Unitary Council covering Lichfield District, Tamworth Borough and East Staffordshire, alongside two other new councils, with Cannock Chase District, Stafford Borough and South Staffordshire creating a South-West Staffordshire Unitary Council, and Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire Moorlands and Stoke-on-Trent forming a Northern Staffordshire Unitary Council - find out more.
We believe our proposal is right because it delivers on what matters most: residents first, local democracy, strong economic foundations and better public services.
It keeps services close to communities through smaller, community-focused councils, groups together areas with shared identity and real economic links to maintain meaningful local representation, creates balanced councils of 300 - 400,000 people, and replaces the two-tier system with a simpler single authority in each area - cutting duplication and saving around £15 million a year across Staffordshire to reinvest in frontline services - find out more.
View our:
- Full detailed proposal
- Full Council covering report
- View the Full Council meeting where it was discussed on 4 November 2025
Give your views
Two alternative models are also being proposed, including an east-west two-council model supported by Staffordshire County Council, and a north-south two-council model supported by Cannock Chase, Stafford and East Staffordshire - view the three Staffordshire proposals.
Independent national analysis however shows that councils serving populations of over 350,000 people tend to spend more per person and charge higher council tax, with no evidence of better or more efficient services.
Have your say on the official government consultation on the three Staffordshire proposals before 26 March 2026.
Contact Details
Have your say on the official government consultation on the three Staffordshire proposals before 26 March 2026.