DURHAM county councillors will tomorrow approve proposals for a new-style council providing all local services.

If the North-East gets a regional assembly one tier of the county's local government - either the county or the seven districts councils - will be scrapped.

The county council believes one county-wide authority is the best option and the cabinet is expected to endorse a submission outlining its case, which will be considered by the Boundary Commission.

The commission will make draft recommendations in December, which will be put out for consultation, before it makes its final recommendations in May.

The district councils want to see three or four unitary authorities.

However, the county says one authority would minimise the costs of local government reorganisation.

The county delivers 86 per cent of local government services in County Durham. Transferring district council functions and staff to one unitary authority "is by far the cheapest option," it says.

It estimates it would cost two-and-a-half times more to create three unitary councils than a single authority.

One authority would also offer considerable economies of scale with one chief executive, one education department with one director, one director of social services and social services department, one housing department and one headquarters.

The county authority would be "able to punch its weight within the region'' in the competition for jobs and investment.

It would also give town and parish councils more say in important policy decisions.