Local Government Re-organisation and Devolution

The Government has announced that Warwickshire will be reorganised into two new unitary councils.

The decision means from 1 April 2028, the six Borough, District and County Councils will be abolished and replaced by:

• North Warwickshire Council: covering the areas currently served by North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and Rugby Councils.
• South Warwickshire Council: covering Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick Councils.

Your new unitary council will deliver all the service you rely on, including:

• waste collections
• roads
• housing
• planning
• play areas, parks and green spaces
• leisure centres
• education
• children’s services
• adult social care

The Government made its decision following consultation on the proposals for local government reorganisation in Warwickshire.

Read the joint statement from the six councils in Warwickshire on Local Government Reorganisation.

BACKGROUND

The Government has announced significant proposals to change the structure of local government through its programme of Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution.

Local Government – Present Structure

Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council is the most local tier of government. Above the Town Council sit two principal authorities: Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Warwickshire County Council.

Warwickshire County Council covers the whole county and is responsible for services such as highways and transport, adult social care and children’s services.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council is one of six district and borough councils in Warwickshire. It is responsible for collecting council tax, determining planning applications, waste and recycling services, housing functions, and other district-level services.

The Government has stated that in areas with this three-tier system, councils will be reorganised into one or more single-tier “unitary authorities”, removing the current county and district structure

Devolution

Devolution involves transferring powers and funding from central government to local areas, so that decisions are taken closer to the communities and businesses they affect. In some cases, this includes the creation of directly elected Mayors as part of combined authorities.

Local Government Reorganisation

Local government reorganisation refers to the restructuring of councils, including changes to boundaries, responsibilities and governance arrangement

Warwickshire County Council and Rugby Borough Council proposed one unitary council for the whole of the area of Warwickshire comprising the current areas of:

• North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick

North Warwickshire Borough Council, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Warwick District Council proposed 2 unitary councils. These would comprise the current areas of: 

• North unitary authority: North Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Bedworth, and Rugby​

• South unitary authority: Stratford-on-Avon, and Warwick

What Does This Mean For Stratford-upon-Avon Town?

At this stage, details are still emerging. The Town Council is monitoring developments closely.

Should assets or services be transferred down to the local level as part of the devolution process, the Town Council could take on additional responsibilities and have a greater role in local decision-making.

The new arrangements are currently expected to come into effect in April 2028.

For further information, please refer to the following:

Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution | Stratford-on-Avon District Council

Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation – Warwickshire County Council