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Warwick District Council is set to be replaced by a single new council covering both the Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon districts from April 2029. The government said on Thursday 29 October that it is “minded to” go ahead with splitting Warwickshire into two unitary councils: one for the south of the county (Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon districts) and one for the north (North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and Rugby).
On this page
Each new council would take over everything the district and borough councils and Warwickshire County Council do now. For Warwick, that means bins, planning, council tax, car parks, roads, schools, libraries and social care would all sit with one council for the first time.
What the government announced
Warwickshire is one of five areas where ministers now plan to go ahead, after the programme was paused for a review. The others are East Sussex with Brighton and Hove, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire. The Warwickshire plan the government prefers is the two-council proposal put forward by Warwick, Stratford-on-Avon, North Warwickshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth councils. The other option, one council for the whole county, was rejected earlier this year.
It isn’t final yet. There will be at least three weeks for further representations before ministers take their final decision. The government is also paying councils £450,000 for each new council already planned, from a £63 million fund, to cover the costs of preparing for the change.
The timetable
- Now: at least three weeks for further representations, then the government’s final decision (no date given yet).
- May 2027: local elections go ahead as planned on the existing boundaries. That means elections for every seat on Warwick District Council, as Warwick Nub News reports; the councillors elected will serve alongside the new council in its first year.
- May 2028: elections to “shadow” councils, which plan the handover.
- April 2029: the new councils take over. That’s a year later than first planned: before the pause, the new councils were due to start in 2028.
What the councils said
All six Warwickshire councils, including Warwick District Council and the county council, issued a joint statement the same day. They said councils in the county had “held different views” on the best structure, but would now work together, with protecting the services residents rely on as the shared priority. They also said they need clear information from the government about the timetable, the funding and the next steps.
What it means for you now
Nothing changes yet. Bins, council tax, planning applications and car parks all carry on with Warwick District Council, and roads, schools and libraries with Warwickshire County Council, until the new council starts. The government hasn’t said what will happen to council tax levels, what the new council will be called or where it will be based. We’ll report those details when they’re published.
More council news, including next year’s car park charges and the changes to how planning applications are decided, is on our Warwick news page.
