CHESHIRE County Council has hit back at attempts to challenge its figures on the cost of local government reorganisation to council tax-payers.

In its official submission to the Boundary Committee, the county compares the cost of a single unitary council to the establishment of three unitary councils.

The county claims running costs alone would involve an extra £29 to £44m - the equivalent of between £114 and £174 a year on a Band D tax bill - and transitional costs a further £45m.

And this is without a further £25m estimated by the Government as the cost of setting up a Regional Assembly, which will also be billed to the taxpayers of the North West.

District council chief executives claim that past experience did not indicate that council tax bills would rise if three unitary councils were set up.

But Cheshire County Council's executive member for finance, Gretta Cousins, said: 'It is a fact that since 1998-9 council tax increases in Cheshire have totalled 38.4% compared to Warrington's 42% and Halton's 56.9%.

'These figures are 'like for like' and have been adjusted to include District and Police precepts in both cases. 'It is also a fact that Cheshire's council tax increases over the last two years have been the lowest of any English shire.'