AN idea to split Essex into three regions "will never work," a local council leader has said.

As part of the huge restructure of councils across Essex, the County Council has put forward a preference to split Greater Essex into three parts as part of the Government's plans for local government reorganisation (LGR).

Thurrock Council's preference is for four unitaries, with Thurrock merging with Epping, Brentwood and Harlow.

Basildon Council wants to see a merger with Thurrock.

If the county council's preference is approved, Chelmsford, Brentwood, Epping Forest, Harlow, and Maldon would be merged into a 'Central Essex Council'; Southend, Rochford, Castle Point, Basildon, and Thurrock would become 'South Essex'; and Colchester, Tendring, Braintree, and Uttlesford would become 'North Essex'.

These three councils would then manage local services from child social care and bin collections to highway maintenance and education.

It says that the model—replacing the current two-tier system—strikes the right balance between providing essential services while keeping costs low.

Under the three-council model, the new councils would provide services for 600,000 people in North Essex, 560,000 people in Central Essex, and 730,000 people in South Essex.

Neighbourhood committees would act as conduits between the unitary authority and the parish councils to ensure voices are heard at a local level.

Neighbourhood committees would make decisions for members of that neighbourhood, but each unitary authority would decide how they operated.

Some local council leaders, who want Greater Essex to be split into five rather than three, have also dismissed this plan as 'unworkable'.

Leader of Basildon Council, Councillor Gavin Callaghan, said: "From my perspective, the five council model will be cheaper and we'll have greater efficiencies and savings, and the five-model retains local government."

He said: "What do people living in Purfleet have in common with someone who lives in Great Wakering? How does someone who lives in Purfleet get to Rochford Town Hall or wherever the centre of the council's going to be?"

He added that the neighbourhood committees would add layers of governance that would also be impractical. He said: "A stupid idea is the idea we're going to replace districts with these neighbourhood councils which are essentially town councils.

"But the mothership will always have the right of veto on whatever the town council comes up with. It will never work. You are replacing one form of two-tier government with another form of two-tier government."

Councillor Chris Pond, chairman of the corporate policy and scrutiny committee at Essex County Council, said a three-model council would incorporate communities without any connection.

He added: "There is no identity between Buckhurst Hill and Bradwell on Sea or for instance or Tillingham and Tomswood Hill both of which are going to be in the same unit of authority.

"And it would take quite a long time to traverse those by existing road routes and in the past by rail routes. So I think this is an illogical layer cake solution but on the other hand it could be worse."

While Kevin Bentley, leader of Essex County Council said: "You're thinking of district councils. You keep talking about people traveling to Maldon. I mean Maldon is a great place to go but people won't do that.

"Think of other examples. So let's think of North Yorkshire, where all the district councils ceased to exist when it became a unitary authority.

"I don't think they had the conversation about well, everyone's going to travel to Thirsk all of a sudden because that's one unitary.

"You don't have to do that. It's about the efficiency of delivering services."