PLANS to create a South Warwickshire District Council have been dropped.

Last December, Stratford District Council and Warwick District Council formally agreed merger plans to create a ‘super district council’ called South Warwickshire District Council.

The councils submitted a proposal to the government requesting permission for the merger by May 2024.

However, four months later these plans have been abandoned due to a “significant difference between the approaches and ambitions of the two councils”.

On April 14, Cllr Tony Jefferson, leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council wrote seeking a delay in the government’s decision on the proposed merger.

The leader was concerned due diligence work on a company owned by Warwick District Council would not be completed on time.

However, Cllr Andrew Day, leader of Warwick District Council considered the merger decision to have been made last year and that ongoing due diligence did not prevent “the service integration progressing as planned”.

In a joint statement between the two councils, it states: “To ask government to delay matters would create further uncertainty for all staff, especially those facing redundancy, and residents seeking assurances about local services. 

“In Cllr Day’s opinion, making a request for further delay would result in trust being undermined, making it untenable for the two authorities to further integrate services or merge.”

The statement notes the difference in approaches is “irreconcilable” and a joint request, subject to council approval, will be made to the government to stop the merger process.

It adds: “This is a disappointing outcome, but it should not mean the end for the positives that this process has generated; we have learned a lot and wish to carry on as good partners.”

Some of the joint working arrangements already put in place will continue, such as legal services and business rates collection.

However, others including the Joint Management Team and the service integration programme will end.