Judicial Review Appeal Rejection Means New Cheshire East and Cheshire West Councils Will Go Ahead

12.00.00am GMT Wed 5th Mar 2008

Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council were given a clear message yesterday by the Government that the proposal to split Cheshire into East and West would go ahead without delay.

Firstly, Congleton Borough Council's carefully considered appeal against the decision to split Cheshire was rejected by the House of Lords. The appeal was backed wholeheartedly by the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich. Following this decision the Order to create the new two authorities was approved by the House of Lords.

Many voices throughout Cheshire from Parish Councils through to veteran MP, Gwyneth Dunwoody and former independent MP for Tatton, Martin Bell, had come out against the Cheshire split.

This now means that the Government's plans to push ahead with a unitary authority for the City of Chester and West Cheshire and a separate authority for East Cheshire cannot be halted on legal grounds.