A DEBATE is set to take place on whether Warwickshire should become a unitary authority with just one new council replacing the current six administering services in the county.

Warwickshire currently has five district or borough councils including Stratford District Council.

But the county council believes it is in the public interest to explore the opportunities of unitary local government, and a public debate will take place on Tuesday, February 25 in Shire Hall in Warwick.

Unitary local government is where a single council delivers all local services.

At the moment the county is a two-tier local authority area where some services are delivered by Warwickshire County Council and others are delivered by the district or borough councils.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “Over the next four years the county council has to save £92m.

"When we consulted with the public on the proposals for our budget savings, a number of respondents indicated that we should be considering unitary local government to protect services.

"The intention is to start an open and inclusive debate which will have at its core the interests of our citizens, and what makes sense to them, and the long term viability of local government in Warwickshire."

There have already been discussions with the Leaders of the three main political parties in the county council, and a report will go for debate at a meeting of the Full Council on Tuesday, February 25.

If the county was to convert to unitary status, the current structure of six councils would be replaced with either a single authority delivering all services across Warwickshire or possibly two authorities.