Just five county councils have bid to be one of the Government's new flagship pathfinder two-tier models. While the DCLG received 26 different unitary bids last week, only Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire and Suffolk CCs went for the pathfinder option. The leader of Stevenage BC, Sharon Taylor admitted she was ‘quite surprised' that Herfordshire was only one of five bids. ‘The basis of our bid is that we already have a good working relationship with the other authorities in Hertfordshire,' she said. ‘Pathfinder is about all of us in Hertfordshire working in partnership to provide better and more efficient public services which our customers can easily access.' Liberal Democrat local government spokesman Tom Brake said he was concerned that pathfinder status would lead to the ‘downgrading' of district councils. ‘We are in favour of the more efficient running of local authorities, but it's extremely important that services are delivered and responsibilities are held at the lowest level,' he said. Councils were given the option of either going for unitary status, keeping the status quo, or looking at new pathfinder models of two-tier working. The councils had to submit their own plans for enhanced two-tier working, with the aim of sharing back-office functions and creating a unified service delivery. The Government will announce next month which pathfinder projects are to go ahead. The 12 district councils in Kent and the county council have signed an agreement to work together and improve services.
