LIKE many people, retired teacher Janet Gill had hoped the new unitary authority would save money and leave her with a lower council tax bill.

The reality was that her first bill was £87.75 higher than last year – an overall increase of 4.23 per cent.

The 73-year-old lives with husband Jack, a 75-year-old retired education inspector and lecturer, in a three-bedroom terrace house in Hallgarth Street, Durham City.

The house, where they have lived for the past 18 years, is classified as Band F and so attracts a relatively high tax rate.

Last year, their total council tax bill was £2,074.35, of which £1,479.66 was paid to Durham County Council and £269.56 to the now-defunct Durham City Council.

This year, the total is £2,162.10, of which £1,818.44 will go to the new unitary Durham County Council.

The bill also includes a charge of £7.22 to pay for the Durham Charter Trustees, who maintain the civic traditions of Durham, including its historic mayor.

Mrs Gill, a member of the Elvet Residents’ Association, admits she was sceptical of the shift to unitary government.

She said: “I felt the whole idea was to take us over. This was something that was sold to us against the will of most people in the area.

“The main excuse for it was it would be cheaper and more economic and make savings.”

At the authority’s first cabinet meeting, held in Durham Town Hall last month, Mrs Gill was one of the first residents to put a question direct to the cabinet in a newly-established public question time.

Mrs Gill asked how she could feel content and democratically represented by a controlling cabinet which contained no councillor from the former Durham City district.

Council leader Simon Henig said cabinet members were selected on merit and Mrs Gill should be assured all were working hard to represent the interests of the whole of County Durham.