Council shake-up affects millions
Author: BBC |
Millions of people in seven English counties now come under new council areas, as a result of the biggest local government shake-up in 30 years.
Replacing 44 districts and counties with nine “supersized” authorities will save 100m, according to ministers.
All local services in Cheshire, Bedfordshire, Cornwall, Northumberland, Durham, Shropshire and Wiltshire will be run by unitary authorities.
Opponents say the government ignored local people who did not want change.
Many of the district councils were opposed to the changes. Two of them, Congleton in Cheshire, and Shrewsbury and Atcham in Shropshire, failed in a legal challenge to them.
It meant each of the counties would be run by a single council, except Cheshire and Bedfordshire where two new unitaries have been created.