On 1 April 2009 structural changes to local government in England took place which reformed the local government of seven non-metropolitan counties: Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, County Durham, Shropshire, Northumberland, and Wiltshire. In each case the government of the county was changed from a two-tier to a unitary system, with Bedfordshire and Cheshire being divided into two new unitary authorities.
Elections to the new authorities took place on 1 May 2008 for some of the new authorities, which took up their powers on 1 April 2009. In the remaining authorities elections took place two months later on 4 June 2009.
Background Following the passing of the Local Government Act 1992, the Local Government Commission for England recommended a number of unitary authorities to be created in England during the 1990s. The changes that were implemented meant that much of the country continued to have a two-tier arrangement of local government.Sancton, A., Merger Mania: The Assault on Local Government, (2000) Further proposals for unitary authorities in northern England, tied to the option of regional devolution, were put to a referendum in 2004 and were rejected. In 2006 the white paper Strong and Prosperous Communities invited local authorities in England to submit their own consensus-based proposals for unitary authority arrangements, to be submitted before 25 January 2007. Selected submissions went to a public consultation from March until June, with successful proposals announced in July. Legislative requirements for implementation were in place following the enactment of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
Proposed changes
Early responses Various local councils indicated their wish to seek unitary authority status. One town and three cities were overlooked by the 1990s review: Ipswich, Oxford, Norwich and Exeter proposed unitary status on their present boundaries, and commissioned a report jointly to press their case. Norwich announced its intention to respond to the invitation, as did Ipswich and Exeter. In Lancashire, Preston and South Ribble desired to form a single unitary authority although Preston bid for it alone. The City of Lancaster considered seeking unitary status on its present boundaries (having supported a merger with South Lakeland and Barrow-in-Furness to form a Morecambe Bay unitary authority during the referendums review). Blackpool advocated a merger with the Fylde and Wyre districts, which they did not support. Pendle and Burnley also tried to form a unitary authority with Rossendale; however Rossendale rejected this.
The Local Government Chronicle suggested that the non-metropolitan counties of Cornwall, Shropshire, Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland would fit the government's criteria, and that the government would be unlikely to favour carving out unitary authorities from existing two-tier counties. Shropshire County Council, as well as two of the five districts of Shropshire, stated their wish for a move to unitary status. The issue was considered in Durham and Cumbria and the idea of a North Cumbria authority covering the Eden, Copeland, Carlisle and Allerdale districts had some support. The issue was also considered in Northumberland, with the county council in favour of one Northumberland unitary authority. Alan Beith, the MP for Berwick at the far north of Northumberland, suggested instead a three unitary solution, with authorities for the largely rural north and south-west, and an authority for the urban south-east (Wansbeck and Blyth Valley).
Consultation period On 26 January 2007, the government confirmed that 26 proposals for unitary authorities had been received. Various county councils proposed they should become unitary authorities: Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Durham, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Shropshire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Districts seeking to become unitary authorities on their own were Bedford, Exeter, Ipswich, Lancaster, Oxford, Preston. Pendle and Burnley proposed merging as a unitary authority. On 27 March 2007, the government announced that the proposals by Bedfordshire, Bedford, Cornwall, Cheshire, Cumbria, Durham, Exeter, Ipswich, North Yorkshire, Norwich, Shropshire, Somerset and Wiltshire to become unitary authorities would go into the next phase, as would the proposal of Chester for a two-unitary authority Cheshire and by the districts of Northumberland for a two-unitary Northumberland.
On 25 July 2007 it was announced that the unitary proposals by Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset had been rejected. On 5 December 2007 it was explained that the unitary proposals by Exeter, and Ipswich, like those of Norwich (which were referred for review on 25 July 2007) did not meet the requirements to proceed; but may be reconsidered after the Boundary Committee has conducted a review of local government structures across the whole of the two-tier counties they are currently a part of.
A legal challenge was made by Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council and by Congleton Borough Council to the government's decisions, on the basis (amongst other things) that the reviews were made without statutory authority. The High Court and then on 4 March 2008 the Court of Appeal rejected the challenge, finding that the review had been legalised retrospectively.Shrewsbury and Atcham BC and another v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; EWCA Civ 148
Region Proposed by Proposal Result East Bedfordshire County Council single unitary authority Not proceedingBedford Borough Council unitary authority with existing boundaries ImplementedMid Bedfordshire District CouncilSouth Bedfordshire District Council unitary Central Bedfordshire ImplementedIpswich Borough Council unitary authority with existing boundaries Referred to Boundary Committee who decided in February 2010 that while there was support for a unitary structure in Suffolk there were divergent views on what that structure should be. Accordingly, they suggested the establishment of "a countywide constitutional convention to reach a consensus on a unitary solution".Boundary Committee for England - Structural reviewsNorwich City Council unitary authority with existing boundaries Referred to Boundary Committee. In February 2010 it was announced that Norwich was to become a unitary authority in April 2011, subject to the approval of Parliament. East Midlands no bids London not affected by the review North East Durham County Council single unitary authority Implemented Northumberland County Council single unitary authority Implemented Northumberland districts two unitary authorities Not proceeding North West Cheshire County Council single unitary authority Not proceedingChester City Council two unitary authorities:Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire EastChester City Council - People & Places ImplementedCumbria County Council single unitary authority Not proceeding South East no bids South West Cornwall County Council single unitary authority, Cornwall Council Implemented Exeter City Council unitary authority with existing boundaries Referred to Boundary Committee. In February 2010 it was announced that Exeter was to become a unitary authority in April 2011, subject to the approval of Parliament. Somerset County Council single unitary authority Not proceeding Wiltshire County Council single unitary authority Implemented Yorkshire and the Humber North Yorkshire County Council single unitary authority Not proceeding West Midlands Shropshire County Council single unitary authority Implemented
† - in the context of examining options for unitary arrangements in the wider county area.
‡ - the Boundary Committee is asked to advise whether an alternative unitary proposal for Norwich based on revised council boundaries could deliver the required improvements.
Successful proposals On 27 March 2007 Local Government Minister Phil Woolas announced that 16 councils bidding for unitary status had been shortlisted to go forward for public consultation.Communities and Local Government - Woolas announces sixteen successful bids for unitary status to improve local services . 27 March 2007. On 25 July 2007 Woolas' successor John Healey announced that nine proposals would proceed, subject to the approval of Parliament in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.Communities and Local Government - Healey announces nine successful unitary proposals . 25 July 2007. A further announcement on 5 December indicated that only the five county level proposals (Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire, and Wiltshire) would proceed, while further consideration was to be given to the various proposals submitted for two more county areas (Bedfordshire and Cheshire).Communities and Local Government - Green light for five flagship Unitary Councils . 5 Dec 2007. On 18 December it was confirmed that the two-authority plan for Cheshire would proceed.Communities and Local Government - Two flagship unitary Cheshire councils to proceed . 18 Dec 2007. On 6 March 2008 it was confirmed that proposals for Bedford Borough Council to become a unitary authority on its existing boundaries, and for Mid Bedfordshire District Council and South Bedfordshire District Council to merge to create a new Central Bedfordshire authority would be implemented.
Single authorities In the following areas, the existing non-metropolitan county has now also become a non-metropolitan district (i.e. a "unitary county") and the previously existing non-metropolitan districts have been abolished.
Ceremonial county Non-metropolitan districtsabolished in 2009 New unitary authorityfrom 2009 Existing unitary authoritiesfrom 1990s reforms Map pre-2009 Map after 2009 Cornwall PenwithKerrierCarrickRestormel (Borough)CaradonNorth Cornwall Cornwall Isles of Scilly † North Cornwall Caradon Restormel Carrick Kerrier Penwith Isles of Scilly Cornwall Isles of Scilly Durham Durham (City)EasingtonSedgefield (Borough)TeesdaleWear ValleyDerwentsideChester-le-Street Durham HartlepoolDarlingtonStockton-on-Tees (part) City of Durham Easington Sedgefield Teesdale Wear Valley Derwentside Chester-le-Street Hartlepool Darlington Stockton-on-Tees County Durham Hartlepool Darlington Stockton-on-Tees Northumberland Blyth Valley (Borough)WansbeckCastle Morpeth (Borough)TynedaleAlnwickBerwick-upon-Tweed (Borough) Northumberland none Berwick-upon-Tweed Alnwick Tynedale Castle Morpeth Wansbeck Blyth Valley Northumberland Shropshire North ShropshireOswestry (Borough)Shrewsbury and Atcham (Borough)South ShropshireBridgnorth Shropshire Telford and Wrekin North Shropshire Oswestry Shrewsbury and Atcham South Shropshire Bridgnorth Telford and Wrekin Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Wiltshire SalisburyWest WiltshireKennetNorth Wiltshire Wiltshire Swindon Salisbury District West Wiltshire Kennet District North Wiltshire Swindon Wiltshire Swindon
† sui generis unitary authority since 1890
Multiple authorities In the following areas, the pre-2009 non-metropolitan counties have been abolished. Each of the two new non-metropolitan districts in Cheshire (resulting from amalgamations of the existing districts) is now also a non-metropolitan county. In Bedfordshire, the new Central Bedfordshire district (resulting from the amalgamation of two existing districts) is now also a non-metropolitan county, and the previous Bedford district is now a unitary authority area.
Ceremonial county Non-metropolitan districtsabolished in 2009 New unitary authoritiesfrom 2009 Existing unitary authoritiesfrom 1990s reforms Map pre-2009 Map after 2009 Bedfordshire Mid BedfordshireSouth Bedfordshire Bedford ‡Central Bedfordshire Luton Bedford Mid Bedfordshire South Bedfordshire Luton Bedford Central Bedfordshire