Both would have seen the council reduced to ten wards and the Board of Control eliminated.

But in some districts, where the boards performed well, critics said the new councils would reduce the voice of neighborhoods in education policy.

This step added to some speculation in the financial markets that the bank's policy-making council would reduce official interest rates when it meets on Thursday.

The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 1999 reducing the number of seats by 2.

From 1979, the council had 15 3-member wards, reduced to 14 wards in 2002 and 13 in 2012.

A proposal to restructure the municipal government would have seen the council reduced to ten wards and the Board of Control eliminated.

The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000 reducing the number of seat by 1.

After the council agreed to issue cash instead of vouchers but reduced the value of relief payments the Association organized a "voucher strike" to raise the payments.

The Alliance argues that "By trimming the fat from their budgets, councils can reduce the burden on hard-pressed families and pensioners without cutting important services."

Increased grants from central to local government would allow councils to reduce poll tax demands.