Stafford Borough's new Local Plan is set to be formally adopted more than a year after the council currently preparing it ceases to exist, a meeting has heard.

The expected timescale for producing the next Local Plan, which sets out a blueprint for future development of new homes and workspace across the borough in the years up to 2045, means it is not due to become a statutory document until 2029.

The current two-tier council system in Staffordshire is set to be replaced in 2028 with unitary authorities, meaning borough and district councils will no longer exist.

And the impact of local government reorganisation on the Local Plan process was questioned at a Stafford Borough Council scrutiny committee meeting on Thursday (July 2).

Planning policy manager Alex Yendole told the Economic Development and Planning Scrutiny committee: "We've been preparing evidence and making sure we're in a position to go out with our first initial stage of consultation over the course of the last year.

"In March the Government published the regulations that then enabled us to move forward and begin that new Local Plan process.

"We're currently live in the consultation period, through to 28 July, and looking forward to a number of responses.

"We're currently out with three documents.

"We continue to have our call for sites open for developers and landowners to bring forward land that could potentially be considered through the new Local Plan process."

The meeting heard that once the council gets to "gateway one" – publishing a self-assessment of readiness for the Local Plan – it will have 30 months to go through the stages leading up to adoption of the document.

Currently "gateway one" is expected at the end of October, meaning that following stages including publication of the proposed Local Plan, consultations and submission for examination, adoption would be expected at the end of April 2029.

But Cllr Doug Rouxel said: "The elephant in the room is the fact the timescale goes beyond when this council is proposed to no longer exist.

"How does the planning process interact with local government reorganisation?"

Mr Yendole replied: "We are waiting for announcements, we are waiting for Government to come up with further clarity.

"Until such time as we know different we're just going to get on with this job and get the document done.

"It's absolutely crucial we get it done because we haven't got a five-year supply (of housing land).

"The sooner we can get a plan in place, the sooner we can be in a stronger position.

"In terms of local government reorganisation, we will see what comes. But in the meantime we need to get this job done."

Cllr Ant Reid, cabinet member for economic development and planning, said: "We do know the (Local Plan) timetables for two of our neighbouring authorities and we have tried to align at least the start of our timetable with those. We know under local government organisation we are likely to be with those two.

"There is no guarantee everyone stays on the same precise schedule, but we tried to align as much as we can so we will end up in the same place."

There have also been questions about whether local government reorganisation will go ahead as previously planned, following the announcement by Prime Minister Kier Starmer that he would be stepping down from the leadership.

A Government announcement on the proposed new council system for Staffordshire has been expected before the Parliamentary recess on Friday, July 17.

Dean Piper, head of economic development and planning, said: "There's been nothing confirmed by civil servants to say that would happen, but there other events transpiring at the moment.

"We just have to see what happens and we will react whenever a decision is made."

Cllr Reid said: "We can only work with what we've got.

"And we should not stop moving, because this is how we get control over our landscape, built environment and future.

Cllr Frances Beatty said: "As we are suffering this (lack of) five-year supply, and agents and developers are coming thick and fast, at what stage does this document carry weight to stop the flood?

"Our ward has been bombarded."

Mr Yendole said: "It won't get to a position of actually carrying weight until after 'gateway three', after the close of the consultation on the proposed Local Plan. So we're looking at June or July 2028."