The district council has failed to disclose exactly how much it will spend on fighting plans for a ‘super council’ in the county – a move which has been described as “risky” by the opposition.

Wycombe District Council agreed to join the other three district councils in allocating cash to encourage residents to have their say on a major council shake-up in Buckinghamshire - after Government backed plans to scrap all councils in Bucks and replace them with one ‘super authority’ last month.

However unlike South Bucks (SBDC) and Chiltern District (CDC) councils, Wycombe remained vague as to exactly how much of taxpayers’ money would be spent during the consultation period – which ends on May 25.

At a full meeting of the council yesterday evening (April 16), East Wycombe Independent councillor Matt Knight questioned the “strange” decision, before urging Conservative councillors to find common ground in the unitary debate.

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He said: “I noticed in the cabinet report that it just talks about contingencies that are necessary, but it doesn’t appear to agree how much.

“I can’t see any figures in there and I think that is risky and strange that we are spending, but not saying how much.”

Last week SBDC agreed to spend £20,000 on making representations to secretary of state for local government Sajid Javid, while CDC decided to set aside up to £40,000.

Wycombe, South Bucks, Chiltern and Aylesbury Vale district councils have publicly opposed proposals for a single-unitary council since they came to light in 2016 – and later submitted their own plans to Government for two unitary authorities in the county.

Cllr Knight added: “Could the Conservative councillors across Buckinghamshire not sort this out amongst themselves? Why are we spending taxpayers' money on an argument that appears to be between different members of the same party?”

Opposition councillor Julia Wassell argued that creating one council for the entire county “makes sense”, adding that there is nothing that can be done in one month to “change the Government’s mind.”

However councillor Alan Turner slammed single-unitary plans for "trying to replicate the current system without the democracy".

Leader of WDC, Katrina Wood, insisted the Government’s approval of a single-unitary councils is “not set in stone", and defended the council's decision to not reveal how much money had been allocated to making representations.

She said: “We haven’t identified a specific sum because the provision of communications, legal and financial services already allows us to utilise external resource where necessary and if there is a budget overspend, this can be met with corporate contingency.

“Hence the wording in the recommendations today from corporate contingency as reasonably necessary.

“The work will also have the benefit of contributions from the other three district councils and similar reports have been taken to their meetings.”

Members of the public have until May 25 to send their views to Government by emailing sajid.javid@communities.gsi.gov.uk