'Splitting county in two will be a disaster'

Plans to split Worcestershire into two councils have been branded a "disaster" and a "disgrace" by the Reform UK county leader.

Alan Amos, leader of the county's Reform group, said the proposed shake-up of local government was "going to be chaotic" and would increase costs by duplicating services.

If plans go ahead Worcestershire County Council and the six district councils would be replaced with two new unitary authorities covering the north and south of the county.

Just hours after Amos's comments The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced it would be reviewing the proposals.

"It's a disaster to split the county council up into two, with a north and a south," Amos told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"How on earth are you going to split social services, children's services and highways between two artificial bodies?

"They are one service at the moment. Instead of having one social services director, you're going to have two.

"Instead of having one director of highways, you're going to have two. Instead of having one children's director, you're going to have two.

"It's going to cost more, it's going to be chaotic, and we're going to spend the next two years trying to set up a system that will actually work, and I'm very sceptical we can do that."

A government spokesperson said a decision to review the process had come "in light of new legal advice".

Plans for 14 other areas, including Worcestershire, will be "reviewed and paused" while this is carried out.

"The Prime Minister told the House last week, he was 'prepared to look at local government reorganisation' and he asked me as his Communities Secretary to 'do that,'" Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said:

Prior to the government's announcement, the changes were due to come into effect in 2028.

If they went ahead Bromsgrove, Redditch and the Wyre Forest district would be covered by North Worcestershire Council.

South Worcestershire Council would cover Malvern Hills, Worcester and the Wychavon district.

The proposal divided opinion. Chris Bloore, Labour MP for Redditch, said at the time the decision was made he was "delighted" but Conservative Adam Kent, the existing county council's deputy leader, called it "horrendous".

The then government minister Steve Reed said the changes would help drive economic growth and simplify the local authority system.

"Two-tier structures are confusing for residents, divide responsibilities, slow down decisions, duplicate costs and blur accountability," he said.

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