Worcestershire north-south split to go ahead in 2029

A historic shake-up of councils across Worcestershire is set to go ahead despite a 12-month delay - with the county due to be carved in two.

Local government minister Jim McMahon has confirmed a prior decision to establish two new unitary councils for Worcestershire can be implemented after a review - but only in 2029, a year later than planned.

The move will see all the county's current councils abolished - the biggest political change since 1974.

Council leader Matthew Jenkins, said: "It's not ideal, but at least it gives us clarity of where we are going now." Adam Kent, his deputy, described the delay as "madness", especially because he favours a single unitary authority for the county.

The new north Worcestershire council will provide services across the Wyre Forest, Bromsgrove and Redditch, while its southern counterpart will do the same in Worcester, Malvern and Wychavon.

The decision comes amid major financial problems at Worcestershire County Council, which will now have to plan to exist for 12 months longer than envisaged.

The authority, which is led by a Green-Lib Dem-independent coalition, is battling with an estimated budget shortfall of £98m next year and has already stated it will require more emergency government support.

Jenkins, Green councillor, added: "Particularly with our finances, we'd have preferred to have made these changes [in 2028], but the government will have its reasons for pushing it back.

"But at least the clarity is good - across local government many authorities are in the same position."

His deputy Adam Kent, who had been in favour of having just one unitary council for the county, described the 12-month delay as "madness"

"This means all the district council elections will have to go ahead next year, so we'll be asking people to vote for councils that will very soon be abolished," he said.

"It's absolutely barking - we'll have to prepare for another county council budget when we thought we'd be planning to wind the authority down."

Speaking in parliament, local government secretary Jim McMahon said the announcement was about "providing some clarity on what comes next".

"Yesterday's budget showed we're committed to giving local leaders, local councils and local communities the tools to shape their own future," he said.

"The decisions that we take now will be the building blocks for how this country is governed for generations to come."

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