Buckinghamshire’s four district councils will submit a joint proposal for a new government model for south Bucks, they announced today.

Wycombe, Chiltern, South Bucks and Aylesbury Vale District councils want two unitary authorities, based on a north/south divide of the county.

A spokesman for the councils said the proposal was being made on the “firm belief” that the approach will “not only improve the outcomes for the people of Bucks, but will also provide a solid foundation for service provision and future challenges.”

Wycombe District Council leader, cllr Katrina Wood, said: “We firmly believe that the two unitary authority approach, based on a north/south split, is much better suited for the people of Buckinghamshire and the services they need.

“We also believe that the north/south model will be more conducive to creative solutions for the long-term future of public services in Bucks.”

Bucks County Council, on the other hand, wants a single unitary authority.

Council leader Martin Tett branded the current two-tier council system “untenable” and “out of date”, and said a single unitary authority would help “deliver better services” and “make a lot of savings”.

It comes after the Bucks Free Press revealed earlier this year that more than £140,000 of taxpayers’ money was spent in total by the five councils on independent reviews into the future of local government.

Top consultancy firm Deloitte was commissioned by the district councils to produce the report, while the county council had its in-house report validated by an “independent organisation”.

The district councils’ report favoured a two or three unitary council, instead of one.