A TWO-council plan for Warwickshire has been given the go-ahead by government.
It has approved plans which will see the county’s existing six councils abolished by 2028 and replaced by two larger single-tier authorities – one covering the north and the other the south.
It is part of the government’s plans to give local areas more decision-making powers via devolution.
It will see one new council in the areas covered by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council and Rugby Borough Council.
The areas covered by Stratford District Council and Warwick District Council will form the other.
Elections for the newly formed councils are due to be held in 2027.
The new authorities will take full control in 2028, when the existing councils will be wound up.
Once the new authorities are up and running, services which residents rely on will be delivered by their new local council.
But instead of having a lower-level council responsible for things like waste collection, planning applications and street cleaning – they would be delivered by the new council.
The replacement will also take over things currently delivered by WCC such as education, transport and libraries.
Council tax bills could also go up or down under the new structure, depending on where people live and how the new councils decide to calculate them.
At the time consultation was taking place last year, Stratford, Warwick, North Warwickshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth all expressed a preference for splitting the county in two authorities.
Warwickshire County Council and Rugby Borough Council preferred the option of a single council.
The arguments for two authorities revolved around whether smaller councils could meet local people’s needs more effectively and fears over a loss of local identity.
Those pushing for a single authority spoke about being able to work more efficiently and reduced bureaucracy.
In a joint statement the six councils said: “We recognise that councils across Warwickshire have held different views on the best structure for local government in the county.
“All six councils have a history of working well together and have been praised by Government for being an area where cooperation is high. We remain committed to continuing to work together constructively and responsibly as we move into the next stage of this process.
“Our shared priority is to make sure residents, businesses and communities continue to receive the services they rely on, and that the move to the new councils is managed carefully and in the best interests of Warwickshire.”
