The future shape of local government in Staffordshire will be revealed within weeks, cllrs have been told.

All 10 city, county and district councils in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire are due to be abolished and replaced with new unitary authorities under local government reorganisation (LGR).

Scrutiny committee members at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council were given an update on the LGR process, which is set to reach a crucial stage next month.

Some Staffordshire politicians have suggested that the current uncertainty surrounding national government could lead to LGR being delayed, or even shelved altogether.

But council bosses told the resources overview and scrutiny committee that the government is still expected to make an announcement on LGR in Staffordshire before the parliamentary recess on July 17.

This announcement will reveal which of the five options for the new unitary authorities will be taken forward.

Most of the options involve some sort of north-south split, while one favoured by Staffordshire County Council involves an east-west division.

Executive director and monitoring officer Mark Trillo explained that further details, such as the number of councillors and ward boundaries, would be included in a structural changes order (SCO), due to be laid before parliament later in the winter.

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The SCO would legally establish the new councils, allowing elections to take place to the 'shadow authorities' in May 2027, while abolishing the existing councils.

After the elections there would be a year-long transition period, with the new authorities going live in April 2028.

Mr Trillo explained that this process would allow a 'seamless' transfer to the new authorities.

Cllr Mark Deaville asked whether this timetable could be affected by the resignation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

He said: "To add to the uncertainty, it's likely there'll be a new Prime Minister, highly likely that there'll be a new Secretary of State.

"Do you think that will change timetables or the plans at all?"

But Mr Trillo said he thought it unlikely there would be any changes.

He said: "We're actually at the end of the process for initial decision-making, so I would not anticipate any change now, unless there is a complete change of approach.

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"Bear in mind that Surrey has already had its shadow elections.

"We've had decisions in the other six priority areas – they're all on track.

"Everything that's being said is that there isn't any slippage in the timetable."

Council leader Mike Gledhill added: "I don't see any change [to LGR].

In terms of the progress towards devolved areas with mayors, I think that might speed up. But in terms of LGR I don't think there'll be any change at all.

"There has been speculation nationally of what the effect will be if a council says they're not playing ball because they don't like it.

"Can that change anything?

"I don't think it can.

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"There's a duty on all councils to co-operate."

Existing councils will have a legal duty to co-operate in the creation of the new authorities, including participating in joint committees during the transition period.

Cllr Gledhill suggested the government could make 'other arrangements', such appointing commissioners, if a Staffordshire council refused to take part.

Mr Trillo said that councils, as 'creatures of statute', had no option but to comply with legislation.