Councils in Northamptonshire have been invited to submit proposals for unitary structures to replace the existing 2-tier system across the county.

Communities secretary Sajid Javid has invited the district and borough councils in the county to submit a proposal for a single tier of local government in Northamptonshire.

The letter - sent to the chief executives of Corby, Daventry, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Northampton, Northamptonshire, South Northamptonshire and Wellingborough councils - is calling for proposals by 27 July 2018.

Proposals will be considered based on their ability to improve local government and service delivery across the area. The proposals should also be based on a credible geography and have a good deal of local support.

The letter states: ‘Other factors that should be taken into account in formulating any proposal include the findings and recommendations of the Northamptonshire County Council Best Value Inspection report, and wider regional issues such as how a new authority might be able to boost housing delivery and contribute to the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford growth corridor.’

The invitation is for a ‘combined proposal’ and does not include a single unitary for the whole of the county.

The leaders of the district and borough councils said: 'This is an opportunity to build a long-term, sustainable model for delivering services across the county. It should include a wider consideration of the delivery of public services, with the needs of residents at their very heart.'