Further regulations to facilitate the smooth progress of transition to new unitary authorities in seven areas across England have been laid before Parliament today by Communities Minister Parmjit Dhanda.
These regulations will transfer the functions of the outgoing councils to those new unitary councils on 1 April - keeping the implementation process well on track. This means that new councils will inherit responsibility for the day-to-day functions of those they are set to replace, such as waste collection, benefits and housing, giving them the powers they will need to ensure that these services continue to run smoothly. In addition the regulations will ensure that any property, rights and liabilities of the previous councils transfer in accordance with agreements that have been made locally between councils.
The new flagship councils are set to promote greater community involvement, reduce the duplication and inefficiency that can cause difficulty in a two-tier system, and bring efficiency savings of around £100m which can be redirected to reduce council tax or fund local improvements.
Communities Minister Parmjit Dhanda said:
"These regulations underpin our commitment to supporting those councils implementing their unitary proposals, and to provide the key building blocks to deliver the transformational change and quality services communities expect and deserve.
"They will place the new councils in the strongest possible position from day one. We will continue to work closely with the authorities concerned to ensure that transition to unitary status takes place smoothly and efficiently."
