Newcastle Council Takes First Step Towards Legal Challenge Over Forced Merger

The council has sent a pre-action protocol letter to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, demanding answers over exactly how the Government reached its decision.

The move comes after the Government confirmed in July that Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Moorlands will be brought together to form a new North Staffordshire unitary authority.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Council is now asking the Government to reveal precisely what information was considered by the former Secretary of State, Steve Reed, before the decision was made.

The council says it wants to understand what evidence was considered and whether the process used to reach the decision was fair and robust.

Council Leader Jonathan Gullis said the authority will consider its options once the Government has provided the requested information.

He said: "We want the Government to show us its working so we can properly understand how this decision was reached, what evidence was considered and whether the process was fair and robust."

The council has already taken independent external legal advice on its position.

Cllr Gullis has also raised concerns over the financial implications of bringing Newcastle-under-Lyme into a new authority with Stoke-on-Trent.

He questioned how the proposed North Staffordshire authority would deal with what he described as almost £800 million of existing Stoke-on-Trent debt, and whether Newcastle-under-Lyme taxpayers could ultimately be exposed to that financial risk.

He said Newcastle-under-Lyme residents "did not create Stoke-on-Trent's debt" and should not be expected to pick up the bill through higher council tax, cuts to local services or money being diverted away from the borough.

The council leader added that Newcastle-under-Lyme "did not ask for this" and that residents had not voted for the proposed merger.

The Government's plans would see Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council abolished and replaced by a single North Staffordshire unitary authority.

Subject to the necessary legislation and parliamentary approval, a shadow authority is expected to be created in May 2027, with the new authority becoming operational in spring 2028.

The latest move does not mean a legal challenge has been launched. Instead, the pre-action protocol process gives the council an opportunity to obtain further information and consider whether there are grounds for taking the matter further.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Council says that, once it has received and considered the Government's response, it will take further legal advice before deciding what action, if any, it can take.