It is “business as usual” across Buckinghamshire councils as politicians looked ahead to creating a new ‘super authority’ that is the “very best for residents”, according to a district leader.

Leader of Chiltern District Council, Isobel Darby, addressed councillors in public yesterday evening for the first time since government approved plans to create a single-unitary authority for Bucks.

Following the announcement at the beginning of the month district leaders said they were “disappointed” with the decision – however Cllr Darby recognised the move will enable the main councils to “collectively create a new authority”.

She added leaders of Chiltern, Wycombe, South Bucks and Aylesbury Vale district councils are still “keeping [their] options open and taking advice” to ensure the new council “is the very best for our residents and communities.”

The district and county councils will now be scrapped and replaced with one unitary authority, despite district leaders campaigning for two – one for the north and one for the south of Bucks.

Cllr Darby said: “It is very important to note in [the minister of housing, communities and local government’s] written statement he talked about the creation of a new single unitary council, which means that we will not have any continuing authorities.

“All five authorities will all end and a new authority will be born.

“This gives us all the chance to collectively create a new authority, not only with new structures and processes, but most importantly with a new culture.

“So what happens next? At this stage we are keeping our options open, we are taking advice to make sure the new authority is the very best of our residents and communities – and that is the most important thing, because that is what we are all here for.”

Liberal democrat councillor, Peter Jones, added leader of Bucks County Council, Martin Tett, has “won the war” for a unitary authority, and echoed previous calls he should pull out of the running for a top role at the new council.

Cllr Jones added: “This is a new council, it is not the county taking over, and I think that is an absolutely crucial part of what we need to say.

“I was a bit cheeky, because before I called upon the leader of the county council to either stand down or at least say he would have no part in the new council.

“I cannot honestly think of anything that would better demonstrate to people of Bucks that this is a new council.

“If Martin Tett was here I would say you have won the war. You can be Winston Churchill, let someone else be Clement Attlee”

Cllr Darby added a decision on whether or not to hold the 2019 district elections will need to be made “quite soon”, and said the leaders of the district and county councils are working to arrange a date to meet and discuss the next steps forward.

She said: “I firmly believe Chiltern and South Bucks district councils are in a strong position having successfully undergone significant change after the last two years.”