The news that Warwickshire will eventually be split in half with two new councils governing the north and south of the county respectively has been welcomed by Warwickshire's Liberal Democrats.

Thursday's (July 16) announcement from the government will see the work done by existing borough and district councils, as well as the county council divided between the two new local authorities.

Current timelines state the current councils would be abolished in April 2028.

Warwickshire County Council, under its Reform UK administration, pressed for a single council covering the whole county.

Meanwhile, four of the five district and borough councils argued for two councils built around the distinct needs of north and south Warwickshire.

Cllr Sarah Boad, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group at Shire Hall, said: "Making local government simpler, more efficient, and more effective is the right thing to do for residents, and this is the right way to go about it.

"Our view has always been that decisions made as close as possible to the residents and communities they affect are better decisions.

"That is why we are pleased that the two-council model for Warwickshire has been accepted, and that the government has listened to what residents themselves said they wanted.

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"However, no one should be under any illusion.

"Local Government Reorganisation is a long journey over many years, not a destination to be reached in the next two.

"The timetable for the first stage, with elections to the new shadow authorities due in May 2027 and the new councils taking on full responsibility from April 2028, is very tight indeed.

"A great deal of detail still must be worked through, including where the new authorities will sit within a wider strategic authority and what the future holds for the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner. We will be pressing for clarity on all of it".

The picture in Rugby is more complicated, as Rugby Borough Council supported the case for a single county-wide council. The town will now form part of the new northern authority alongside Nuneaton and Bedworth and North Warwickshire.