Voluntary joint committees set up to help plan Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent’s new councils

Work is continuing to prepare for two new councils in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

As part of this, two voluntary joint committees are being set up, one for each new council area.

A joint committee is a group of councillors from different councils who work together. The committees will help plan the move to the new councils and make sure the change is well organised.

The committees are part of a wider programme of work to prepare for the new councils. This includes 11 project teams, known as workstreams, working together to plan how services, staff, buildings and finances will move to the new councils.

Each committee will include councillors from the councils in that area:

• North Staffordshire: eight members in total, made up of:
  • two from the district and borough councils;
  • two from the Staffordshire County Council; and
  • four from Stoke-on-Trent City Council
• South and Mid Staffordshire: 12 members in total, made up of:
  • six from the district and borough councils; and
  • six from Staffordshire County Council

The joint committees are being set up now so planning can start as early as possible and work can continue without delay.

Day-to-day council services will continue to be delivered as normal while preparations take place and will not be affected by the joint committees.

The committees are expected to meet for the first time in late October 2026 and will remain in place until the shadow authority elections in May 2027.

The full list of committee members will be published here as soon as it is available.