PLANS to extend Durham City's boundaries as far as Ferryhill if unitary local government is introduced have won councillors' backing.

The Liberal Democrat-controlled city council's cabinet has approved proposals for a greater Durham that will be submitted to the Boundary Commission.

If the North-East gets a regional assembly, one of the county's two tiers of local government will be scrapped.

The argument so far has been whether all council services are provided by one countywide authority or three local councils.

The seven districts commissioned research that suggested three unitary authorities, created by mergers of the seven existing districts, "would be the safer option".

Durham City's Labour group favoured the proposed merger with Easington but, since the research was completed, the Liberal Democrats have taken power.

Their plan is to extend the boundaries to include Kimblesworth and Plawsworth, Sacriston, Cornsay, Esh, Spennymoor, Tudhoe, Bishop Middleham and Cornforth, Middlestone, Broom. Low Spennymoor and Tudhoe Grange, all places in other council areas.

Greater Durham would be one of four councils. The others would be created by merging Chester-le-Street and Derwentside, the western part of Sedgefield with Teesdale and Wear Valley and Easington with the eastern part of Sedgefield.

The council said the proposals would bring the city communities within its "travel to work" area that it uses for leisure, shopping and work.

"Many of the communities on the edge of the city look to Durham as their major town and have been part of Durham at different times,'' said Carol Woods, cabinet member for finance.

"Durham is a very old city and we need to maintain the city and the city council in some form.

"It has a lot of tradition and it is a natural area. There is not a marriage between Durham and Easington.

"It is difficult to put a city like Durham with a much more rural area with the associated problems that Easington has."

The Labour group leader David Bell said: "It will fragment some of the other districts.

"We don't think the people of Ferryhill and Tudhoe really associate with Durham.

"We still support the three unitary authorities and the merger with Easington.

"We have worked heavily with them.

"There are big areas of deprivation, similar to Durham, and we have worked with them and Sedgefield on the concordat on environmental services."

The three authority option is supported by most of the councils but Chester-le-Street has proposed linking itself with Durham and Stanley