New unitary councils being launched this weekend are planning to improve and develop services for their communities.

The new North Yorkshire Council says it will promote the visitor economy while also ensuring it is centred around environmentally-friendly business growth.

It will be one of several new unitaries coming into being at the same time on Saturday which will also include Somerset, Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness councils.

The North Yorkshire council will be formed when North Yorkshire County Council and the existing seven district and borough authorities merge.

Carl Les, who will lead the new authority, said: ‘The new council will build on the globally recognised brand of North Yorkshire, advocating for the best possible opportunities for residents and businesses, while protecting and enhancing our landscapes and heritage.’

Somerset Council, which will replace Somerset County Council and four district councils, was praised by the Local Government Association last year for its ‘Impressive levels of programme rigour, governance and assurance.’

Council leader Bill Revans said: ‘Woven through all our plans are four threads: a determination to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies, a commitment to developing a fairer Somerset, the compassion to make Somerset a healthier and more caring place to live and the ambition to create a flourishing and resilient county.’

Cumberland Council, which will replace Carlisle, Allerdale and Copeland as one of two unitary authorities taking over from Cumbria County Council, says the health and wellbeing of residents will be ‘at the heart of everything it does’.

Meanwhile its neighbour Westmorland and Furness Council, which will take over from Cumbria County Council and three other districts, faced ‘lively discussion’ when it passed its first financial plan.

Derek Brook, leader of the Labour group on the Liberal Democrat-controlled shadow council, said: ‘Thank you to the Government for forcing us to go through this very quickly, insanely quickly, and not giving us any money to do it.’

Hilary Carrick, leader of the Conservative group, said the 'hard-pressed taxpayers' of Westmorland and Furness might view local government reorganisation as ‘an expensive white elephant.’