• Home
• News
• About the council
• Business services
• Community
• Council tax
• Environment
• Housing and benefits
• Jobs
• Leisure and tourism
• Parking and transport
• Planning
• Recycling and waste

A–Z index:

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

History of the unitary bid

The White Paper

In October 2006, the government published a white paper on their plans to develop the role of local government. The White Paper is called Strong and Prosperous Communities, and you can read more about it on the websites of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Local Government Association.

Invitations for unitary bids

When the White Paper was published, the Secretary of State invited councils around the country to examine their own area, and if there was a strong case, either

• make a bid  for a new unitary council to replace existing county and district councils, or
• send in proposals for improved working relationships between councils in the existing two-tier system (this would be known as a Pathfinder bid).

By January 2006, 26 councils had submitted a bid for unitary status.

What happened in Wiltshire

Following extensive local consideration at their respective Council meetings, Salisbury, Kennet and West Wiltshire district councils decided to oppose the anticipated 'One Council for Wiltshire' bid. On 10 January 2007, the three councils wrote a Joint letter to the county 73kb To Dr Keith Robinson (January 2007) urging them not to proceed with a bid to create a county wide unitary and suggesting ways of improving two-tier working.

Despite this letter, later in January Wiltshire County Council decided to submit a unitary proposal.

Independent review

Salisbury, Kennet and West Wiltshire commissioned an independent report by Professor Chisholm, Cambridge University, which reviews the Wiltshire County Council unitary bid submission document.

On 13 February the three district councils sent a joint letter to Ruth Kelly MP, highlighting the flaws in the County bid, as shown in the Chisholm Report, and a further joint letter focusing on planning was sent on 12 March.

Shortlisting the bids

On 27 March 2007, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly, announced that Wiltshire County Council's bid for unitary status is one of 16 being put forward for consultation with local organisations such as the fire, police and health authorities. Read the decision letter sent by Ruth Kelly to Wiltshire County Council on 27 March and the accompanying consultation paper. This consultation period ended on 22 June 2007.

No direct consultation with the public was planned - but  in April 2007 a poll by local newspaper, the Salisbury Journal, showed 89% of the 435 people who voted were opposed to the Wiltshire unitary council.

A poll on this website in May and June 2007 showed 75% of the 465 people who voted did not support the proposed Wiltshire mega council.

On 14 June 2007, the chief executives and leaders of Salisbury, Kennet and West Wiltshire district councils jointly sent a Letter to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 56kb 14 June 2007, enclosing their Critique of the Wiltshire unitary bid 1.7mb and an Alternative way forward for the county 2.5mb.

At an extraordinary meeting on 14 June 2007, North Wiltshire District Council decided not to support the bid for a possible new unitary authority for Wiltshire.

Government decision

On 25 July 2007, the government announced Wiltshire would become a unitary authority. Read the DCLG press release.

Salisbury District Council has since decided to join with West Wiltshire and Kennet district councils to mount a legal challenge to this decision.

In October 2007 the council announced it would be supporting judicial reviews launched by other councils around the country.

Moving towards the new authority

Wiltshire's new county wide unitary council is set to start life in April 2009 - along with a new name.

In September 2007, county councillors agreed Wiltshire Council as the new name for the council which will have its first elections in May 2009. Read the Wiltshire County Council press release.

Parliamentary approval

In February 2008, One Council for Wiltshire gained parliamentary approval.

The judicial review launched by other councils around the country upheld the government's legal right to create several new single unitary local authorities. This ruling was made on 4 March 2008.

Documents

• Joint letter to the county 73kb To Dr Keith Robinson (January 2007)
• Letter to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 56kb 14 June 2007
• Critique of the Wiltshire unitary bid 1.7mb
• Alternative way forward for the county 2.5mb