I DO think there is a case for unitary authorities, as long as they are a sensible size. The public does get confused when, like in Spennymoor, we have three local authorities - Durham county, Sedgefield borough and Spennymoor town councils.

During the last 13 years, we have had two previous attempts by government to establish a mandate for either a county or district-based model. Neither has received the support of the majority of the public.

The Government then decided that two large unitary models for Durham and Northumberland would replace the regional assembly that the public voted against.

People are annoyed that the Government is about to ask MPs to support a Durham unitary authority serving a population of 500,000.

They see it as being too remote.

Sedgefield Liberal Democrats Group prefers a two or three-tier district unitary model to serve a smaller area of a very rural and diverse population.

No wonder so any people refuse to vote. If this single Durham unitary authority goes ahead, where will the cabinet be based? Which areas will be totally ignored? Will there really be any savings to council tax payers? It will take the local out of local politics.

Councillor Ben Ord, Chairman, Spennymoor Liberal Democrats.

JOHN Routledge (HAS, Aug 8) isn't impressed with my argument about the recent referendum in County Durham. He asserts that "people who do not vote cannot be counted in the results". I have to ask why?

Surely abstention is a legitimate expression of opinion.

Those who chose not to return their forms are not disenfranchised as a result - they quite explicitly opted not to support any of the propositions put before them.

Therefore I stand by my analysis of the referenda in 2004 and 2007. In both cases only a minority of the electorate was persuaded to back the cause.

Perhaps we should introduce compulsory voting. I would be happy to see this, as long as we are offered "none of the above" as an alternative to the list of dreary politicians.

David Lacey, Durham.