The race towards reorganisation is gaining pace more plans emerging in Somerset and Surrey.

Surrey CC has joined the raft of authorities looking at unitary proposals.

A statement from the council leader, Cllr Tim Oliver, said: ‘With increased local powers and the right structural reform for Surrey, I’m confident we will deliver better services, more value for money and a simplified and more accountable system of local government for residents.

Somerset has launched a consultation and business case for ‘One Somerset’, which would see the county and its districts scrapped in favour of a single authority after he wrote to the secretary of state at the start of the year mooting plans for a unitary.

Launching his latest bid for reorganistaion, county leader Cllr David Fothergill said: ‘The concept of district council services and county council services is confusing, cumbersome and costly. That is why so many other counties, including most of our neighbours, have switched to a single council model. We must not get left behind,’ he claimed. 

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