WILTSHIRE county council has sent its submission to Government calling for one council for the county, claiming it will save taxpayers £15million per year.

Council chiefs says the proposal will deliver better services, be more customer friendly and create a focus on value for money.

The submission, supported by North Wiltshire District Council but strongly opposed by West Wiltshire District Council, was delivered to the Government yesterday.

It seeks approval to replace the existing county council and four district councils with a single new council.

The decision follows the publication of the Government's White Paper; Strong and Prosperous Communities, which allowed councils to consider changing the way they are currently organised.

The submission focuses on service improvements, a one-stop-shop approach for all customer enquiries and making substantial cost savings.

Working with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Wiltshire County Council claims it has produced a robust business case, which identifies savings of about £15 million per year as a result of moving to one council.

The business case also includes the estimated one-off cost of £17.9 million for setting up a new single council.

The Government is expected to receive 15 submissions for new unitary councils in around 16 counties, including Wiltshire and will indicate in March which submissions will be given the green light to proceed to the next stage.

If Wiltshire is given the go ahead to move forward, extensive consultation over a period of 12 weeks will take place to assess local views.

Final approval to create a new council will be announced by the Government in July. If Wiltshire is successful in its bid, the new council would be created by April 2009.

Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire County Council, said: "This is a huge opportunity for local government to change for the better and improve the service we provide to all Wiltshire residents. "

The submission can be viewed online at www.wiltshire.gov.uk