Plans to create a new unitary council in Somerset face a big test at the end of July after a fierce backlash by district councillors.

David Fothergill, leader of Somerset County Council, has put forward the business case for his 'One Somerset' proposals, which would see the existing five councils in Somerset abolished and replaced by a single unitary authority.

The business case has already cleared the county council's cabinet and will be presented to the full council for approval on July 29.

But it faces a stiff challenge from both opposition members and the four district councils – one of which described Mr Fothergill's administration as "discredited".

Here's your guide to the One Somerset proposals and where things stand with all things unitary:

What is the One Somerset proposal?

The One Somerset business case was developed after the publication of the FOLGIS report (Future Of Local Government In Somerset) in January.

Under the current system, there are three tiers of local government in Somerset:

Somerset County Council, which is responsible for children's services, adult social care, highways and rights of way (among other things)

The four district councils (Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West & Taunton and South Somerset), which are responsible for planning decisions, licensing and environmental health (among other things)

Town and parish councils, which are responsible for providing local amenities such as benches, dog poo bins and similar

Under the One Somerset plans, the county and district councils would merge into a new unitary authority, with more power being devolved down to towns and parishes if they wanted it.

This would mean that Somerset West and Taunton Council will have existed for only three years since it officially replaced Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset Council in April 2019.

How would local voices be heard?

One of the common criticism of a unitary authority is that it can be distant, taking democratic decisions further away from the grass roots and being less accountable than a three-tier system.

To ensure local views remain represented, under the One Somerset model there would be up to 20 Local Community Networks (LCNs) which would "have real constitutional powers to scrutinise, impact and take decisions."

These LCNs would meet a number of times a year in different locations, and could make decisions on key local matters, such as planning applications – to prevent over-centralisation in Taunton or other major settlements.

Councillor Jane Lock, who leads the Liberal Democrat opposition group at County Hall, has said these organisations (also known as "area boards") are crucial to the success or failure of any unitary authority.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Monday morning (July 20), she claimed: "It took nine years for Cornwall's area boards to set themselves up, in Dorset it's not happening at all, and in Wiltshire they are just grant-giving bodies."

How much money will this cost – and how much will it save?

The figures surrounding the cost of bringing about a new authority are very contentious – and are likely to change as more details come to light.

Mr Fothergill estimates the proposals will cost £16.5M to implement, but would deliver annual savings of £18.5M, and savings of up to £52.6M over a five-year period – which would be reinvested in front-line services.

It is worth noting, however, that the costs of implementing a new council can often rise dramatically if there are high levels of redundancies or problems with putting new ways of working in place.

Somerset West and Taunton Council has seen its redundancy bill rise by nearly £3M over its original projects, and has had to spend roughly the same amount on temporary staff to ensure services stay delivered.

South Somerset District Council has also had to pour more money into its transformation programme to ensure services like planning and licensing can be delivered while permanent staff are hired.

County council deputy leader Mandy Chilcott said on Monday (July 20): "While this project is not money-driven, we have to spend every pound that comes into Somerset as best we can."

How have the proposals gone down within the county council?

So far, the One Somerset proposals have met with relatively little opposition within public meetings.

The proposals cleared the council's policies and place scrutiny committee on July 15, and then were roundly welcomed by the cabinet when it met on Monday (July 20).

Councillor Faye Purbrick, cabinet member for education and transformation, said: "Those [towns and parishes] who want to take on more services can do so. I feel this is a plan for a council that will be fit for the 21st century."

Councillor Frances Nicholson, cabinet member for children and families, said the LCNs would allay any fears about the variety of Somerset's various communities being lost or ignored.

She said: "Somerset is quite a diverse county. There are concerns that understanding the needs of our different parts will be lost in unitary.

"But the LCNs mean communities will be empowered. Only when we get those in place can we have one voice for Somerset."

The big test, however, will come on July 29, when the full council will discuss the plans and all opposition members will be out in force to argue their corner.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Fothergill said: "It is fantastic to finally see these plans moving forward. One Somerset is a chance to re-energise our public services, give our communities more power, end the confusion and save money for better services."

How have the districts reacted?

The four district councils have come out in force against the One Somerset proposals since the FOLGIS report was published.

Rather than merging with the county council, they favour working closer behind the scenes and cutting costs by sharing technology and back-room staff.

South Somerset District Council roundly rejected Mr Fothergill's business case at its full council meeting on Thursday evening (July 16).

Speaking after the meeting, council leader Val Keitch said: "We agree change is needed, but the old-fashioned approach proposed by the county council for the cheapest form of local government is not the solution.

"The county council's business case provides some interesting data and does contain a few ideas that are worth discussing further.

"It is, however, a missed opportunity. Its proposal for a traditional reorganisation is not ambitious enough for Somerset, its residents and its communities.

"We want to have a proper conversation with the residents of Somerset to help us find the right answers and we believe the districts are best-placed to take this forward. The county council will be welcome to rejoin this work at any time."

The other three districts have yet to discuss the business case at full council level, but it is safe to assume they remain highly sceptical about the project.

What have local MPs been saying?

It isn't just local councillors who have been making their views on the unitary issue known.

Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset, requested a parliamentary debate on the issue when he addressed the House of Commons on July 2 – criticising the county council in the process.

Addressing fellow Somerset MP and leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg, he said: "In Somerset, the county council has unfortunately been far too busy looking for unitary instead of attacking Covid-19.

"Believe it or not, it is now trying to persuade the government to let it become a huge new unitary.

"Does my right honourable friend agree that the timing of this bid is at least isensitive, and that the future of our other two struggling unitary councils [BANES and North Somerset] must be included in any future reviews of government restructuring in Somerset?"

Mr Rees-Mogg – the MP for North East Somerset – did not commit to holding a debate, but responded about the importance of Somerset in his typical fashion.

He said: "Dare I say that I feel that all parliamentary time could well be devoted to discussing the virtues, joys and successes of our great county, which has been a county since antiquity.

"I think that the county of Somerset was formed in about the eighth century; it was certainly a very important county in the time of Alfred the Great, so debating it is something that is close to my heart.

"My honourable friend raises an important point about local government reorganisation, of which the secretary of state is well aware."

Wells MP James Heappey previously put forward plans to create three new unitaries across Somerset, by having BANES join up with Mendip, Somerset West and Taunton merging with South Somerset, and North Somerset and Sedgemoor joining forces.

What happens next?

The One Somerset proposals will be discussed by the full council on July 29.

If the council approves the business case, it will be submitted to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the following will take place:

September 2020: A detailed engagement and consultation with the public over the proposals will be ramped up

October 2020: Communities secretary Robert Jenrick MP will formally decide whether the business case is sound and the unitary idea should be taken forward

April 2021: A new 'shadow authority' will go live, comprising members of all existing councils, to oversee the transition of powers to the new council

May 6, 2021: The final elections for the county council will be held, electing 55 councillors to 54 divisions (the Glastonbury and Street division elects two councillors)

May 2021 to April 2022: the fine details of how the new authority will operate will be implemented – including how decisions on planning, licensing and other matters are taken at a local level

April 2022: the new council will officially take charge

May 2022: the first elections to the new council will be held

The government has indicated it will publish a white paper this autumn on the future of local government and how that ties in with the coronavirus recovery.

In a speech on July 3, communities minister Simon Clarke MP hinted that the white paper would favour moving more areas towards unitary authorities.

He said: "Our transformative plan will include a clear, ambitious strategy for strengthening our local institution, with many more elected mayors and more unitary councils following in the footsteps of Dorset, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

"We can remove the complexity of governance and reduce costs to the taxpayer, while making space for town and parish councils to be genuinely empowered."