BOROUGH council plans for a council shake-up in Mid Cheshire have descended into 'a complete and utter farce', claimed county leaders this week.

Their comments followed the decision of Chester City Council's ruling Conservatives to ditch the city council's two unitary councils option - backed by Vale Royal Borough Council - in favour of an improved two-tier authority.

It has left two district councils in the west of the county - Ellesmere Port and Vale Royal - in favour of a partitioned Cheshire and one - Chester - supporting improved two-tier working.

In the east, two - Crewe and Nantwich and Congleton borough councils - want improved two tier and one - Macclesfield - is in favour of splitting the county in two.

Cheshire County Council wants one council for the whole of Cheshire and Derek Bateman, leader of the Labour group at the county council, said: 'The situation has descended into complete and utter farce. Improved two tier is not - and never was - an option for Cheshire.

'The people of Cheshire will see quite clearly that the best way forward for this great county is with one strong and united unitary council. Anything else means higher costs for council taxpayers and major disruption to some of the country's best services.'

Lib Dem Group leader Sue Proctor added: 'Congleton and Crewe and Nantwich are burying their heads and demanding no-change. Now Chester has joined them. It remains to be seen whether Tories in Vale Royal and Macclesfield follow suit.'

Vale Royal chief executive Anne Bingham-Holmes said: 'The council decided earlier this year to support the two unitary councils proposal, with the secondary option of improved two-tier working.

'The council is monitoring the current situation and is in liaison with the other district councils involved.

'The Department of Communities and Local Government is consulting on two proposals until June 22 and will make its decision in July. We await its recommendations.'

A Congleton Borough Council spokeswoman added: 'Congleton Borough Council wants the opportunity for improved two-tier working, where Cheshire County Council and the district councils work efficiently in partner-ship, providing quality services whilst keeping decisions local.'

Legal challenge

CONGLETON Borough Council has set a date to present its case against the Government over the shake-up to a High Court judge.

The council is taking legal action against the Secretary of State and on Monday will ask the court for permission to proceed to a full judicial review of the legality of the process - and for an injunction to stop the process until the review has taken place.

The council believes that the process is flawed and that the minister, Ruth Kelly, has acted outside her powers by not allowing proper consultation on the way council services will be delivered in the future.

The Government has ignored its own criteria on bids for the reorganisation, it says.

A spokeswoman said: 'An eminent expert on local gover nment reorganisation has concluded that the costs of changing local government in Cheshire will be millions of pounds more than the proposers have estimated.'