Letter: Good news for county set

UNFORTUNATELY, Stephen Castle confuses 'counties' with 'county councils' ('The politics behind yet another map of England', 19 June).

The Local Government Commission for England last year did recommend the abolition of Avon and Cleveland as geographic counties, but not the other counties mentioned. Somerset was listed as a county which is 'out', but the Commission recommended a restoration of the historic county boundary, thereby returning the southern part of Avon, including Bath and Weston-super-Mare, to Somerset.

The Commission is currently consulting in 11 other counties on a variety of options, and those options stress the retention of the historic counties 'for ceremonial and other traditional purposes'. At issue is the future form of local government administration within each county.

Historic Oxfordshire would remain if there are to be changes there, so that does not mean a change of county for Chastleton as implied.

David Sanders

Director of External Relations

Local Government Commission for England

London WC1