Councils to vote on Worcestershire unitary plans

Worcester City Council will vote on the plans at Worcester Guildhall on 2 September

Councils are set to vote on what a shake-up of local government in Worcestershire would look like.

They will be asked to choose whether there should be one unitary authority for the county or two – one serving the north of Worcestershire and another for the south.

Currently, the county has a system of one county council and five district councils. But the ruling Labour government has announced a shake-up of the current system saying it wanted to give everyone a directly elected mayor, and incorporate district councils into wider authorities.

The district councils will individually convene in the first week in September to have their say on the plans.

The five current district councils are Worcester, Bromsgrove, Malvern Hills, Redditch and Whychavon.

A report, produced by Mutual Ventures on behalf of the councils, analysed the benefits of the two options.

In the two-council system, a south Worcestershire authority would cover Worcester Wychavon and Malvern while a north Worcestershire council would serve Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest.

The favoured proposal will be submitted to the government in November,

Jabba Riaz, Deputy Leader of Worcester City Council, said it was an important decision.

"The shape of local councils in our city and county is set to change forever in April 2028, shaping how essential services from bin collections to social care will be provided for decades to come."

Wyre Forest and Worcestershire County Council have already indicated their support for a single unitary authority.

Once the government has approved the model for reorganising councils in Worcestershire, elections will be held in May 2027 for a "shadow" authority or authorities, which will guide the setting up of the new council structure.

The new unitary authority or authorities will then take over local services in April 2028.