The leader of Hull City Council has denied a land grab as a review looks at merging it with a neighbour against its wishes.
Cllr Stephen Brady insisted the independent Commission of Inquiry was looking at how Hull and the wider region could ‘make the most of the opportunities we now have to bring more jobs and investment into our area’.
The commission will advise on five options, including combing Hull and East riding of Yorkshire Council into one new local authority.
Cllr Brady said: ‘We need to see what local government structure would be able to take maximum advantage of the changing economic and political situation – without being precious about the existing arrangements and boundaries.
‘The commission’s conclusions may not be acceptable to all of the local authorities involved or some communities, and may not fit certain prejudices but they will be an important benchmark, based on sound and reliable evidence, and it should provide the answers to many questions that have stopped us making justified and hard fought for progress for far too long.’
A Hull spokeswoman added: ‘The commission has invited the East Riding of Yorkshire Council to participate in the review on two separate occasions but has received no response or acknowledgement to these approaches.’