Residents, stakeholders and businesses are being invited to share their views on how councils across Worcestershire should be organised in the future.
The Government has today (5 February) launched a seven-week consultation asking people, businesses and local organisations for their opinions on two proposals that will reshape the way council services are delivered across the county.
The statutory consultation is available to complete online here, with paper copies due to be made available at the Guildhall, The Hive and libraries.
The two proposals were submitted in November 2025 following an invitation from Government to set out ideas for how services currently delivered separately by the County Council and district authorities could instead be provided by one or more unitary councils.
One of the plans – Transforming Worcestershire – backed by Worcester City, Bromsgrove District, Redditch Borough, Malvern Hills District and Wychavon District councils, is to create two unitary councils.
Under this model, one authority would serve the north of the county (Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest), while another would cover the south (Worcester City, Malvern Hills and Wychavon).
Key priorities for this proposal include shifting services from crisis response to prevention, empowering communities by keeping decision-making local, and driving long-term financial sustainability.
More information about this proposal is available at here
An alternative proposal for a single unitary council for Worcestershire has also been submitted by Worcestershire County Council and Wyre Forest District Council.
This would bring all services under one authority, replacing the county and district councils.
Councillor Lynn Denham, Leader of Worcester City Council, said: “This will be the biggest change to your local councils in more than a generation and I would urge Worcester’s residents and businesses to get involved and make sure they get their voice heard.
“From highways to bin collections, this reorganisation will affect the local services that you value and rely on.
“Our bold and transformative proposal for separate councils for the north and south Worcestershire is the only one to be based on listening to the feedback of residents and businesses. It’s a plan that will simplify the delivery of essential local services, avoid the democratic deficit that a single unitary model could bring, and will preserve the different identities in our county while recognising the individual needs of our local communities.”
The Government is expected to decide in July 2026 which model for local government in Worcestershire will be taken forward. Elections for a new ‘shadow’ authority – or authorities – would then take place in May 2027, ahead of the new arrangements coming into effect on 1 April 2028.
The Government consultation will run for seven weeks, and residents can respond online here or by email
The consultation runs until midnight on 26 March 2026.
