Archive - the last review of local government in Wiltshire

The structure of local government was last reviewed in 1994 and resulted in no change in Wiltshire other than a unitary council being created for Swindon. At that time, most rural areas remained unchanged, but new unitary councils were created in urban areas such as Bristol, Bath, Torbay, Plymouth, Bournemouth and Poole.

In 1994, the Local Government Commission stated that arguments for unitary councils are "often more compelling within an urban area than in more rural parts of the country."

Two options for Wiltshire were considered at that time - three new unitaries for Wiltshire, including Swindon, and one new unitary for Swindon with no change elsewhere.

The Commission reviewed the costs of change associated with each option and concluded that savings of 1% to 2% may be possible, but that "in the worst case, transitional costs would never be paid back."

Local Government Commission – The future of Local Government of Wiltshire December 1994 – Final Recommendations.

• Local Government Commission for England – Final Recommendations on the Future Local Government of Wiltshire. Report to the Secretary of State. December 1994.
• A joint submission to the Local Government Commission for unitary local government in Wiltshire. 1994: (Part 1).
• A joint submission to the Local Government Commission for unitary local government in Wiltshire. 1994: (Part 2 – evaluation of the options).
• Review of Local Government in Wiltshire. Submission by the County Council to the Local Government Commission - Part 1. Executive Summary and Key arguments in favour of the County Council’s preferred option. April 1994.