Staffordshire County Council has criticised the Government's decision to pause and review local government reorganisation, calling it an "eleventh-hour decision" made with little warning.
Councillor Martin Murray, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said the pause breaks the timetable that councils across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have been working to meet.
Council's Concerns
Murray said councils have "worked flat out to meet Government's timetable, following their rules". The pause, he added, "wastes time, drains capacity and undermines confidence".
He called on Government to "stop wasting our time and energy, give councils straight answers and put devolution first".
What the Council Wants
Staffordshire County Council says Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent need "a strategic authority, a stronger voice and the power to make decisions locally". The council said it will "keep pressing for that".
