A district council chief executive has called for competing unitary bids to be left on the shortlist which comes out next week. The Department for Communities and Local Government is expected to publish a shortlist next Thursday of unitary bids which will go forward to consultation. Rumours abound that the list will feature just one city council and all of the county councils who submitted bids (see The MJ, 8 March). ‘There are a number of county areas, like Somerset, where at least two bids have been put forward,' said South Somerset DC chief executive Phil Dolan. ‘If they all meet the Government criteria, as set out in the invitation document, will they all go out to stakeholder consultation?' In Bedfordshire, a survey of 1,000 people has revealed broad support for the county's unitary bid. The survey was conducted by Ipsos Mori and 69% thought the current system was confusing, while 84% said that with a single authority it would be clearer who was responsible for local service. Bedfordshire CC claims a single authority could save £26m a year in running costs.