South Warwickshire is expected be a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Warwickshire, England. It was planned to be formed on 1 April 2028, with elections to the new authority planned to take place in May 2027. Its largest settlement will be Royal Leamington Spa and it will also include the towns of Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon, Kenilworth, Whitnash, Southam, Alcester, Shipston-on-Stour and Henley-in-Arden, as well as the large villages of Bidford-on-Avon, Studley and Wellesbourne. According to 2024 ONS estimates the area has a population of 301,147. Plans to create it were halted in September 2026 and the 2027 election was cancelled.
Formation It will be formed as part of the 2027–28 local government reforms from the existing Warwickshire districts of Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick, with the three northern Warwickshire districts going to form a North Warwickshire unitary.
The proposal for two unitary councils was supported by all the district councils in Warwickshire apart from Rugby Borough Council. The alternative proposal for a single unitary, which was backed by Rugby Borough Council and Warwickshire County Council, was not accepted.
In September 2026, the Warwickshire proposals were halted by the government and placed under review.
Governance The area will be run by South Warwickshire Council, which will comprise 56 councillors.
Parishes
The district will be divided into 145 civil parishes. The parishes are:
Admington, Alcester, Alderminster, Arrow with Weethley, Ashow, Aston Cantlow, Atherstone-on-Stour, Avon Dassett Baddesley Clinton, Baginton, Barcheston, Barford, Barton-on-the-Heath, Bearley, Beaudesert, Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall, Bidford-on-Avon, Billesley, Binton, Bishops Itchington, Bishops Tachbrook, Blackdown, Brailes, Bubbenhall, Budbrooke, Burmington, Burton Dassett, Burton Green, Bushwood, Butlers Marston Chadshunt, Chapel Ascote, Charlecote, Cherington, Chesterton and Kingston, Claverdon, Clifford Chambers and Milcote, Combrook, Compton Verney, Compton Wynyates, Coughton, Cubbington Dorsington Eathorpe, Ettington, Exhall Farnborough, Fenny Compton, Fulbrook Gaydon, Great Alne, Great Wolford Halford, Hampton Lucy, Harbury, Haselor, Hatton, Henley-in-Arden, Hodnell and Wills Pastures, Honington, Hunningham Idlicote, Ilmington Kenilworth, Kineton, Kinwarton Ladbroke, Langley, Lapworth, Leek Wootton and Guy's Cliffe, Lighthorne, Lighthorne Heath, Little Compton, Little Wolford, Long Compton, Long Itchington, Long Marston, Loxley, Luddington Milcote, Moreton Morrell, Morton Bagot Napton-on-the-Hill, Newbold Pacey, Northend, Norton Lindsey Offchurch, Old Milverton, Oldberrow, Oversley Green, Oxhill Pillerton Hersey, Pillerton Priors, Preston Bagot, Preston-on-Stour, Priors Hardwick, Priors Marston Quinton Radbourne, Radford Semele, Radway, Ratley and Upton, Rowington, Royal Leamington Spa Salford Priors, Sambourne, Sherbourne, Shipston-on-Stour, Shotteswell, Shrewley, Snitterfield, Southam, Spernall, Stockton, Stoneleigh, Stoneton, Stourton, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stretton-on-Fosse, Studley, Sutton-under-Brailes Tanworth-in-Arden, Temple Grafton, Tidmington, Tredington, Tysoe Ufton, Ullenhall, Upper and Lower Shuckburgh Wappenbury, Warmington, Watergall, Warwick, Wasperton, Welford-on-Avon, Wellesbourne, Weston-on-Avon, Weston Under Wetherley, Whatcote, Whichford, Whitchurch, Whitnash, Willington, Wilmcote, Wixford, Wolverton, Wootton Wawen, Wormleighton
References