Stratford-on-Avon District Council supports interim plan for local government reorganisation in Warwickshire

Councillors at Stratford-on-Avon District Council yesterday, Monday 17 March agreed to support the District Council's interim plan for local government reorganisation in Warwickshire.

Members of Full Council approved the following:

• That the interim plan be approved.
  
  
• That the Chief Executive be authorised to make minor changes to the interim plan, in consultation with the Leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council, following the consideration of the interim plan by the other Warwickshire District and Borough Councils.
  
  
• That a fund of £50,000 be made available from Stratford-on-Avon District Council's Inflation Reserve to finance the additional support required to complete the formal November submission to the invitation for Local Government Reorganisation.

Two possible options are being considered, as part of the interim plan:

• A single unitary council for Warwickshire
• Two unitary Councils (one for North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and Rugby Boroughs; another for Warwick and Stratford Districts). 

In requesting proposals, government has set out some clear criteria for reform. Local councils have been asked that: 

• Proposals should seek to achieve for the whole of the area concerned the establishment of a single tier of local government. 
• Unitary local government must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks (population of 500,000 or more). 
• Unitary structures must prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens.
• Proposals should show how councils in the area have sought to work together in coming to a view that meets local needs and is informed by local views.
• New unitary structures must support devolution arrangements.
• New unitary structures should enable stronger community engagement and deliver genuine opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment.

More work will be done to identify which structure will feature in the proposal submitted by 28 November 2025.

Cllr Susan Juned, Leader of Stratford-on-Avon District said: "The Government has made it clear it wishes to see the end of two-tier working in Local Government. This will see the end of district and borough councils and county councils. In their place will be new unitary councils. 

"This interim plan has been agreed by all five District and Borough Councils in Warwickshire as a starting place for the direction we want to take. There is a clear preference for a north and south unitary option, but we have to build the data and vision for the case we will put in our final submission in November. We also have to consider the final details of the strategic authority that we will be in. 

"In the final submission we will want to emphasise that the most important part of the case are the people who live here and the services we give them. Making savings is not the same as making sure local services work well.

"At a time of a housing crisis, cost of living crisis and social care crisis we mustn't forget who public services are really for and what we need to achieve to meet their needs. As we move forward we have to ensure that the case we will put in November is carefully thought out and backed up by evidence, so we know that it will meet the needs of our residents, businesses and communities - now and in the future. 

"There is widespread research that shows that smaller, more localised councils are more responsive to the unique needs of communities and businesses in each city, town and village. It's not being super-sized that makes a council high performing or financially stable - it's years of hard work by dedicated public servant with clear leadership. 

"We will take a balanced and measured approach which puts collaboration, evidence, partnership and communities at the heart of our final plan."

Subject to final approval by the other Borough and District Councils across Warwickshire (Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council, Rugby Borough Council, and Warwick District Council), the interim Local Government Reorganisation proposal for Warwickshire will be submitted to Government by 21 March 2025.

The report that went to The Cabinet before the Full Council meeting can be seen HERE and the appendix HERE. 

Background information

On Monday 16 December, the English Devolution White Paper was published, which set out in detail the Government's policy to move areas with two tiers of local government to a single tier within the term of this parliament. There are 21 remaining county areas, of which Warwickshire is one.

In England, devolution is the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government. It is important because it ensures that decisions are made closer to local people, communities and businesses.

Through the white paper the Government aims to establish devolution deals for all areas in England.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is the process in which the structure and responsibilities of local authorities are reconfigured. The Government has set out plans to move away from the current two-tier system of district/boroughs and county councils in England.

The Government has indicated that for most areas this will mean creating councils with a population of 500,000 or more, but there may be exceptions to ensure new structures make sense for an area, including for devolution, and decisions will be on a case-by-case basis.