Shropshire Council will be the name of the new unitary authority which will run much the county from April next year, it has been confirmed.

The name was agreed yesterday at the historic first meeting in public of the unitary implementation executive made up of county, borough and district councillors. It was proposed by chairman Councillor Malcolm Pate.

A key task of the executive, which now has formal decision-making powers, is to ensure a smooth transition to unitary status for Shropshire – excluding Telford & Wrekin.

Councillor Elizabeth Yeomans (Bridgnorth district) said: “I think to call it anything else would be inappropriate.”

It was important that the new council could be easily identified.

Designs for the logo will drawn up and and Shrewsbury county councillor, Alan Mosley, suggested schools, colleges and the general public be involved in the process, perhaps through a competition. This was agreed.

A report said that although Shropshire County Council will be the “continuing authority” next April, the unitary will be very much a merger of all six principal councils.

A new name and logo is required so that the unitary can effectively link its brand to the community services it provides.

“Shropshire Council is the most natural name for the new council,” said the report.

Other names were considered such as Heartlands and Heart of Shropshire had been considered but felt to be desirable.

It was also felt that having the name Shrewsbury in the title could lead to confusion with the proposed Shrewsbury Town Council.

Also discussed was a draft blueprint for the unitary and it was agreed that six more local joint committee pilots be rolled out this year.

The executive was updated too on the progress being made by the 28 project teams working on the transition programme.

Earlier, in his welcome to members, Councillor Pate said that establishing a unitary authority would move Shropshire local government into the 21st century.

By Dave Morris