Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has welcomed the Government's decision to halt Local Government Reorganisation and review its legality, following the Council's legal challenge to the proposed abolition.
Council Leader Jonathan Gullis said the announcement vindicated the Council's decision to oppose the reorganisation from the start. The Government's suspension specifically includes Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in its review of the scheme.
Council's Legal Challenge
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council commissioned specialist King's Counsel advice to examine whether the Government's reorganisation decision was lawful and whether grounds existed for Judicial Review. The Council also challenged the evidence and questioned the financial case underpinning the proposals.
Jonathan Gullis said: "When the Government announced that it intended to abolish our historic Borough Council, we did not shrug our shoulders, wave the white flag or accept that Newcastle-under-Lyme's future should be decided for us."
Call for Stronger Opposition
Gullis acknowledged that there had not been a stronger collective approach across North Staffordshire in challenging the reorganisation proposals, but said Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council was determined to ensure questions were properly asked and residents' interests represented.
He called on the Government to stop the abolition of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, listen to residents, and respect the Borough's right to determine its own future.
