Local Government: Future Unitary Structures The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Andrews) My honourable friend the Minister for Local Government has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. Our local government White Paper, Strong and Prosperous Communities, made clear that the status quo in two-tier areas is not an option. Accordingly, in parallel with the White Paper’s publication in October 2006 we invited councils in two-tier areas to submit by 25 January 2007 proposals for unitary status. We also invited bids from councils to pioneer as pathfinders new two-tier models. We have now received 26 bids for unitary status and five pathfinder bids. These are: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Councils Submitting Proposals |Proposed Unitary Structure | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1. Bedford Borough Council |Bedford unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2. Bedfordshire County Council |County unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |3. Cheshire County Council |County unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |4. Chester City Council |2 unitary option for Cheshire | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |5. Cornwall County Council |County unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |6. Cornwall districts |County unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |7. Cumbria County Council |County unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |8. Durham County Council |County unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |9. Durham districts |Future unitary status for county area| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |10. East Riding District (an existing unitary) |East Riding and Selby | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |11. Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council |3 unitary option for Cheshire | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |12. Exeter City Council |Exeter unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |13. Ipswich Borough Council |Ipswich unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |14. Lancaster City Council |Lancaster unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |15. Mid Bedfordshire District Council & South Bedfordshire District Council|Unitary covering both districts | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |16. North Yorkshire County Council |County unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |17. Northumberland County Council |County unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |18. Northumberland districts councils |2 unitary option for Northumberland | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |19. Norwich City Council |Norwich unitary  | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |20. Oxford City Council |3 unitary option for Oxfordshire | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |21. Pendle Borough Council & Burnley Borough Council |Burnley and Pendle unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |22. Preston City Council |Preston unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |23. Shropshire County Council |County unitary  | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |24. Somerset County Council |County unitary  | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |25. South Somerset District Council |East Somerset unitary  | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |26. Wiltshire County Council |County Unitary | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- |Pathfinder Proposals| ---------------------- |1. Buckinghamshire | ---------------------- |2. Dorset | ---------------------- |3. Hertfordshire | ---------------------- |4. Lincolnshire | ---------------------- |5. Suffolk | ---------------------- All bids will now be carefully considered. Unitary proposals will be assessed against the criteria specified in the invitation to decide which proposals will go forward for stakeholder consultation. We intend to announce our decisions in March, and launch the consultation at the end of March with a 12-week consultation period. The criteria are that any change to future unitary structures must be affordable, and be supported by a broad cross-section of partners and stakeholders; and that the future structures must provide strong, effective and accountable leadership, deliver genuine opportunities for neighbourhood flexibility and empowerment, and deliver value for money and equity on public services. Following the stakeholder consultation on proposals, the Government will reassess those proposals and intend to announce by the end of July 2007 which proposals will proceed to implementation. We will also assess the pathfinder bids, and intend to announce after the March announcement on unitary proposals which pathfinders we will be working with as they develop their innovative two-tier models. The period for submitting bids has now ended, and we have no plans to issue any further invitations. Councils everywhere need to ensure that their focus remains on delivering improved outcomes for their communities by working effectively with all partners and stakeholders. In those areas for which there are one or more unitary proposals, all councils should now avoid any action that might prejudice the future, whatever the outcome of the bid. In all other areas, where it is already clear that the two-tier structure will continue, we expect councils to pursue improved ways of working together, delivering for their communities that strong local leadership, increased efficiency, better value for money, and reduced council tax potentially offered by unitary options.