Government adopts North and South & Mid Staffordshire unitary authority plan

Plus Minton floor reveal in Liverpool, work gets underway at former Zanzibar nightclub in Newcastle, and filming at Middleport for period drama The Cadburys…

Jul 20, 2026

North Staffs unitary authority will cover Stoke, Newcastle, and Staffordshire Moorlands. Pic: Staffordshire County Council

🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot

Hi, and welcome to The Knot's weekly round-up of positive news from across Stoke and Staffs, along with some news on local government reorganisation.

The government announced its plans for local government reorganisation last week and, as expected, it has opted to split the county into North Staffordshire and South & Mid Staffordshire, with the current 10 councils in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent set to be replaced by North Staffordshire Unitary and Southern and Mid Staffordshire Unitary. These new unitary councils are to be in place from April 2028.

The proposal was put forward by Stoke-on-Trent, Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire and Stafford councils, with Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader, Jane Ashworth, claiming, “this is the option that most closely reflects the reality of how people live, work and travel across our area and provides the strongest basis for future success.”

Councillor Martin Murray, Chair of the Staffordshire Leaders Board and leader of Staffordshire County Council said, “This is a significant and complex programme, but we will put residents first, protect essential services, and work together to deliver a system that works for the people we serve.”

However, Newcastle MP Adam Jogee has called the shake-up “completely unacceptable” and that he rejected them in “the strongest terms”, citing concerns over protecting Newcastle residents from the debt held by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council, and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Leader of Newcastle Borough Council, Jonathan Gullis said the plans to abolish the council were “a shameful betrayal of Newcastle-under-Lyme and the people who call our Borough home.” He added, “We will now fight Newcastle-under-Lyme’s corner throughout every stage of the transition. We will demand fair representation and ensure that our residents and communities receive their fair share of resources.”

Check out Wednesday’s edition of The Knot for more details and comment on this.

Local Government Revamp & Good News 🎉

👩‍⚖️ Two New Unitary Authorities for Stoke & Staffs. After public consultation, the government has opted to split the county into two unitary authorities, North Staffordshire and South & Mid Staffordshire. Elections for the new shadow unitary authorities are expected to take place in May 2027, with the new councils formally taking responsibility for services from April 2028. After the transition, the unitary authorities will deliver all council services in their area, from children’s services, and adult social care to highways and waste collection.

📽️ THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Toby Jones 📽️

Actor Toby Jones, star of Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Marvellous, visited the Gladstone Pottery Museum on Who Do You Think You Are?, aired on the BBC last week (watch here) to explore his family’s links to the city through his father, Freddie Jones. His great-grandfather, Henry Enoch Jones, worked as a saggar maker. During the show, Gladstone’s curator and interim head of museum, Ben Miller, revealed that he’s Toby’s third cousin once removed! Small world eh?

Actor Toby Jones at Gladstone Pottery Museum. His great grandfather Henry worked as a saggar maker

🌆 Vision for former Zanzibar Site unveiled. Construction has officially begun at the former Zanzibar nightclub site in Newcastle, with Capital&Centric now set to transform brownfield site into a new mixed-use neighbourhood, delivering 63 affordable homes alongside five enterprise units at a key gateway into the town centre. Groundworks are progressing on site under a letter of intent agreed earlier this year, with HBC Construction appointed to deliver the scheme.

Construction has finally begun at the old Zanzibar nightclub in Newcastle, and this is Capital&Centric’s vision for the old site

🎬 Filming at Middleport for The Cadburys. A film crew was in situ at Middleport Pottery this week for a period drama about the Cadbury family, and follows the underdogs of the cocoa world on their journey towards creating the world-famous Cadbury’s chocolate bar. Starring Mathew Baynton, Felicity Montagu and Joanna Scanlan, it’s due to air on free-streaming service U&Original sometime in 2027, and there’s more info on the series here.

🤩 Minton floor unveiled in Liverpool. One of the finest examples of Victorian design, the Minton floor at St George’s Hall was created in the 1850s using 30,000 handcrafted tiles featuring Liver birds, roman gods, sea nymphs and tridents. Usually kept covered under a wooden floor, you can take in this magnificent piece of local craftsmanship over the summer. Choose from the Minton Floor Reveal (until 02/09; 10am-3pm, £5.50), a 360-degree walk around the perimeter of the floor, or the Minton Tiles Experience (until 18/08; Monday to Sunday at 10am, 1pm and 3pm), a guided tour that explains the floor’s design in detail. You’ll need to wear protective shoe covers for both tours.
Usually covered up, the Minton floor at St George’s Hall in Liverpool is on display to visitors from now until 02/09

😃 Our Top Five Don’t-Miss Events this Week. Cool cocktail bar Desire is hosting Culture Served (28/08) from 6pm-10pm with a guest shift from top mixologist Lele Menshah. Minecraft is coming to Alton Towers, with a UK-exclusive six-week summer event, Minecraft Meet the Mobs (now-28/08), with photo opps with creepers and a Baby Mobs Trail among the highlights; tickets £37 online. Book onto the Valentine Clays Open Day, (10/09), with a morning session, All About Casting, and an afternoon session, All About Glaze. Ever fancied walking Stoke’s 47 remaining bottle kilns? Now you can! The six-hour, 14-mile walk begins at 10am on 08/08 from Cherished Chimneys and ends at Gladstone to raise cash for a mural to commemorate Stoke’s nightclub culture. The Knot will be there – see you there. Entry £10. Fancy a laugh? Chris Ramsey from The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show is at the Regent (12/09) at 7.30pm with relatable tales about parenthood. Tickets from £36.74.

🥨 Most popular stories from the last week on The Knot

👮‍♀️ Targeted activity to reduce crime: Four days of action were held this month to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime across Stoke-on-Trent
💰 £20 million for Meir North: Knotters were keen to find out more about this revamp
🪧 Critics question governance at Staffs County Council: The Reform-led council has faced criticism for a perceived lack of collaboration with other parties

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