Councils who have bid for unitary status will have to wait until next week to see if the Government will grant them their wishes.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) was expected to publish its shortlist on Thursday (22 March), but it will come out early next week instead.
It is understood that the Cabinet met this week to discuss a shortlist of councils. Seven counties and Exeter City Council are believed to be definitely on the list, while there was further discussion about a further five bids, including the two competing county and district plans from Northumberland. A DCLG spokesman said the list would be published by 27 March at the latest, but could not give an exact date.
South Lakeland DC met this week to discuss plans to create four authorities to cover Greater Carlisle, West Cumbria, Barrow and Furness and Lakeland. But the chief executive of unitary bidder Cumbria CC, Peter Stybelski, will not be around as the bids are announced. He underwent a kidney transplant last week.
Mr Stybelski's convelscence will be covered by his deputy chief executive, Bob Mather.
District chief executives, council leaders and trade union representatives from Somerset were in Westminster last week to protest at their county council's unitary plans.
‘If it comes to pass, it will be a bad day for the communities of Somerset and a bad day for democracy,' said Taunton Deane BC leader, John Williams (pictured, left).
Devon CC leader Brian Greenslade has hit out at rumours that Exeter City Council will be on the shortlist.
‘I trust that the objective criteria tests are being applied scrupulously and that Exeter people are not being foisted with an expensive and disruptive fait accompli,' said Cllr Greenslade.