Staffordshire Moorlands welcomes Government decision on Local Government Reorganisation
The Leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, Councillor Mike Gledhill, says of today's decision.
"We welcome the Government's decision to go for a new North Staffordshire council that will take over from Staffordshire Moorlands District, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough, Stoke-on-Trent City and Staffordshire County councils to deliver all council services in the north from 1 April 2028.
"A second unitary, a new Southern and Mid Staffordshire council, to replace the six other districts in Staffordshire and the county council also makes sense in our view.
"The new North Staffordshire council is absolutely not a merger with Stoke-on-Trent. It's a new start for the three councils and makes sense geographically, economically and culturally.
"For the Moorlands it brings the opportunity for improved transport connectively, greater job opportunities especially for our young people, and sensible building where it is needed using brownfield sites where possible.
"This is a genuinely new start for our area, the opportunity to celebrate what makes us special including our heritage, fantastic community spirit we are known for, an economy that can grow, two leading universities, and a rich countryside that includes a National Park we can all appreciate and enjoy.
"Although a North Staffordshire Council will create opportunities, we do recognise there will be challenges too. One of these is Stoke-on-Trent's financial position. However, the Government's Fair Funding for Local Government proposals means the current city council area is likely to benefit from millions of pounds more funding in the coming years.
"I will be ensuring our work and legacy is carried forward into the future, in particular that the Staffordshire Moorlands legacy plan we have created to March 2028 is delivered and all the locality planning we have been doing to ensure our successor council has the best possible understanding of the make-up, opportunities and challenges of the various communities we serve is understood."
You can read more about Local Government Reorganisation and what happens next on our website at Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation
Watch our video with the Leader's reaction below.
Published 16 July 2026
