Preferred Option

The Councils of North Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick have all determined that their preferred option for future local government structures is the two-unitary option which would divide Warwickshire into two halves, north and south, as the map shows.

This structure would be more suitable for our communities, because it is found to best reflect the way people live and work in the area, it matches housing and service demands, and supports existing strong links between towns in the north and south, and their relationship with the wider economy.

It is expected that the population of our communities will continue to grow. Government has recently published updated forecasts which show that by 2047, both a north and south Warwickshire unitary would have a population larger than most current unitary authorities.

Before final decisions from the district and borough councils, and ahead of the submission to government in November, additional research is needed to understand how existing services which cover the whole county, could instead be delivered by two separate new unitary authorities. These vitally important services include the following:

• Adult social care
• Children’s Services
• Special Education Needs and Disabilities
• Fire and Rescue Services

Analysis of these services by independent consultants has found that there are opportunities to change the way in which they are delivered to reduce cost and demand from a local approach. It would be important for the two unitaries to:

• Become more financially stable through this change.
• Reduce demand on these services by targeting prevention and early intervention on a local level.
• Make the best use of our community assets in each area when targeting prevention and early initiatives.