A ‘shadow authority’ made up of all members of the county and district councils in Bucks will be formed next year to implement the new super council.

The district councils arranged ‘extraordinary meetings’ this week to discuss the next steps towards launching a single-unitary authority in Bucks.

On Tuesday leader of Chiltern District Council (CDC), councillor Isobel Darby, explained that all 236 members from the four district councils and county council are expected to form a new shadow authority in April next year.

The new shadow authority would be tasked with aiding the transition to a unitary authority – including approving the implementation plan and preparing budgets.

If the new structural changes legislation is agreed by government members will be elected to form the shadow executive – however questions have been raised over the proportion of county and district councillors in the group.

CDC councillors went on to agree the leader of the executive should be elected by members – similar to the process at the current councils.

They also debated whether ‘twin hatters’ – councillors that service on both county and district councils – should have one vote for two when electing the leader.

Cllr Darby said: “As of next spring when the orders come into force we will all be members of the shadow authority.

“That means we will be part of the council with 236 seats. We as councils will be nominating representatives onto the shadow executive, like a cabinet, which will do the day to day work of the shadow authority.

“This is basically getting the nuts and bolts of the new authority together so that come April 1, 2020 there is a council there, it has people in it, and it can serve our residents.”

Leader of the Liberal Democrats on CDC, Peter Jones, raised concerns over suggestions county councillors should make up the shadow executive, with the remainder filed by councillors from across the four districts.

He said representation should be equal across the five councils, saying: “I thought there were five of us in this new council, and as such there should be the same number from each of those people.

“If pushed we could have five from the county and four each from each of the districts.

“I think it’s very clear there are five equal partners in this.”

Cllr Robert Jones backed cllr Caroline Rouse’s views twin hatters should be allocated two votes when electing the leader – as “it would be more representative”.

Cllr Darby added the councils have until the end of the week to send their views to the secretary of state, James Brokenshire, on his approval of the unitary authority in Bucks.

They are also required to tell government their views on the draft legislation which will help create new unitary council.

The new unitary authority is set to be implemented by April 2020 – with elections due to take place in May.