After months of wrangling and campaigning, authorities in Bedfordshire and Cheshire will be abolished and both counties will be split in half. Local government minister,John Healey, confirmed last week that Bedfordshire would now be split into two unitaries, despite frantic campaigning and a legal challenge by the county council. And the parliamentary order to split Cheshire into two unitaries overcame its last hurdle when it was approved by the House of Lords last week, by 83 votes to 72. It was also announced this week that Bedfordshire CC chief executive, Andrea Hill, had been selected as new top officer at Suffolk CC (see page 3). A decision on the county council's judicial review against reorganisation is expected shortly. The new unitary Bedford and central Bedfordshire authorities will come into effect on 1 April 2009, with elections taking place in May 2009. The elections for the new east and west authorities in Cheshire will take place in May, and the new authorities will start on 1 April 2009. ‘It's clear the Government has backed our proposals all along, despite comments made by the county council,' said Bedford mayor, Frank Branston. ‘I hope staff and councillors across Bedfordshire will respect this decision and work with us in the interests of the people we represent.' County council leader, Madeline Russell, said: ‘The Government may have made its mind up, but the courts have not.' Congleton BC leader, Roland Domleo, said he was disappointed at the Court of Appeal's decision to throw out the case against reorganisation last week. ‘We will now, of course, endeavour to keep services local, making the transition seamless so residents don't notice the change,' said Cllr Domleo. A spokesman for Congleton BC said the full council would now consider the next course of action. Cheshire CC chief executive, Jeremy Taylor, pledged to ‘work with colleagues in the district councils to do our best to maintain and protect the excellent services so prized by residents of this county'. Mr Healey said: ‘I recognise this is inevitably a difficult time for the councils involved, but I encourage all authorities going through restructuring to work constructively together to ensure the new unitary councils can fulfil their potential.' New unitary authorities will be created in: l Bedfordshire l Cheshire l Cornwall l Durham l Northumberland l Shropshire l Wiltshire. Elections for the new authorities in Cheshire, Durham and Northumberland will take place in May this year, and the rest will be held in May 2009.
