Warwick District Council supports interim plan for local government reorganisation in Warwickshire

Councillors at Warwick District Council yesterday, Thursday 20 March, agreed to support the District Council’s interim plan for local government reorganisation in Warwickshire. Members of Full Council approved the interim plan that has also been approved by the other Warwickshire District and Borough Councils.

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

1. A single unitary council for Warwickshire
2. 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.
• 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 Ian Davison, Leader of Warwick District said: “The Government has made it clear it wishes to see the end of two-tier working in Local Government. If this happens, then district, borough and county councils would be replaced by 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. We must build the data and vision for the final submission in November. Which strategic authority we will be in may preclude the single unitary option.

“In the final submission, the most important part of the case are the people who live here and the services we deliver. 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 must 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. This needs to be balanced against potential economies of scale of larger councils.

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

This interim Local Government Reorganisation proposal for Warwickshire is being submitted to Government today.”

The report that went to The Cabinet after the Full Council meeting and the appendix documents can be seen on the Warwick District Council website.